


Sweet Child Of Mine

by teamchasez



Series: Sweet Child Of Mine [1]
Category: Dale Earnhardt Jr - Fandom, NASCAR - Fandom, NASCAR RPF
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, Kidnapping, the one that got away
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-17
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2019-07-13 13:59:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 53
Words: 108,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16019375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teamchasez/pseuds/teamchasez
Summary: A child needs help. A child he didn’t know about. With the woman he hasn’t forgotten.





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

“Mom!” Thirteen year old Ashlyn MaKayla Pierce whined as she followed her mother, Lindsay into the kitchen.

“I said no, Ashlyn,” Lindsay reached into the refrigerator pulling out the jug of orange juice. Filling a glass she turned around, facing her daughter’s piercing blue eyes. She had to look away, blocking the memory that threatened to rise. 

“But Mom, everyone is going to be there! Jessie, Brittany, and Madison are going to be there. If I don’t show up, I’ll be a loser.”

“You’re not a loser.” Lindsay told her daughter. She put her empty glass in the sink and walked from the room. “You’re still not going to this party.”

“Well if I wasn’t a loser before, I am now.” Ashlyn mumbled throwing herself down on the couch. “Why can’t I go?”

“Because it’s a boy girl sleepover and the only supervision you’ll have is Brittany’s nineteen year old sister. I doubt she’ll be very much supervision. Go grab your things, you’re going to be late for the bus or do you want me to take you to school?”

“No,” Ashlyn heaved a sigh before pushing herself off the couch to stomp up the stairs to her room. Grabbing her book bag she made her way down the stairs towards the front door. 

“Don’t forget your gloves,” Lindsay called to her.

“Yeah, whatever,” Ashlyn pulled on her coat, leaving it unzipped. She slung her bag over her should before opening the door.

“Have a good day, sweetie, I love you.”

Ashlyn shut the door without saying a word. How could her mother not allow her to go to this party? It was the talk of the school; everyone was going to be there. How was it going to look if she wasn’t there? She was sure Bryce was going to be there.

Bryce was the most popular boy in the seventh grade. He was quarterback for their football team. The Jesse McCartney poster that adorned her wall didn’t hold a candle to Bryce Cameron. He was also Brittany Paige’s boyfriend. Brittany was the head cheerleader and the most popular girl in school. She had the perfect blonde hair, flawless skin, size four jeans, and the envy of every girl not to mention daddy’s bank book. Every boy wanted to be with her and every girl wanted to be her friend. 

Ashlyn sighed as she thought about Bryce. She wished he would notice her. But she wasn’t anything to look at. Sure she was the blonde hair, blued eyed girl, but unlike Brittany she had the dirty blonde hair, with a touch of red. She wanted to dye it; found the perfect color at Wal-Mart, a platinum blonde that she loved. But her mother wouldn’t let her color her hair. She was too young.

She had thought seeing if she could stay over at Anna’s house. Anna Montgomery was one of her closest friends. They had been together since kindergarten. It helped that their mom’s worked together at Scottsville Manor, a nursing home located just outside of town. If she stayed there, maybe she could get a ride to Wal-Mart and buy the hair dye with her allowance. Anna could help her dye it. 

She grinned at the idea she had formed in her head. She couldn’t wait to get home after school to ask her mother. She knew it was an almost done deal, her mother never said no to her going over to Anna’s. 

Shivering against the wind, Ashlyn dug her hands deeper into her light blue parka. It was uncommonly cold for early October and she wished she had listened to her mother and grabbed her gloves before she had left. But she couldn’t turn back and get them, if she did, she would have missed the bus.

Missing the bus wasn’t something Ashlyn wanted to do. Not only would her mother be upset and have to drop her by on her way to work, she would miss the chance of being able to sit next to Bryce. She was so happy when she found out that with the new bus routes, she was placed on the same route of Bryce. With the new information she told her mother that she didn’t need to be driven to school anymore, that she could ride the bus. 

The morning bus rides were something she cherished. It was a time to be in his presence without Brittany around. In school, she couldn’t get near him unless it was math class, where the teacher had assigned them seats next to each other. That had made her happy, while Brittany had sulked in her seat on the opposite side of the room. She giggled as she remembered the look on her face when the teacher gave her, her seat assignment for the first grading period.

Picking up her steps, Ashlyn moved faster towards the bus stop. Hoping the bus was on time and warm today. She was reaching the end of the block and was about to turn up the sidewalk when she felt a tug on her back pack.

“What the…” She whirled around and was met with something coming down upon her head. She fell to the ground in a heap.

She wished she had told her momma that she loved her.

**

“I can’t take much more of this cold,” Lindsay rubbed her hands together as she sat behind the nurse’s station ready to get a pass down from the night shirt nurse coming off duty.

“Get used to it, Linds, it’s only October,” Courtney, one of the nursing assistants working her wing told her. “You should be used to this weather by now. Living in Colorado then moving here.”

“Never get used to this cold. It’s freezing!” Lindsay said shivering. “Any trouble last night?”

“Surprisingly no, we had a quiet night,” Joanne said as she started in on her pass down of the residents. 

“Damnit,” Courtney sighed leaning against the counter.

“What’s up, Court?” Lindsey asked when Courtney paused.

“It’s a quarter after seven and Melissa isn’t here yet,” Courtney groaned. “And there isn’t another available aide. Looks like it’s just me for fifteen residents.”

“Don’t worry, Court, I’ll come out and help you. Just start getting everyone up for breakfast and into the dinning room. As soon as I’m done here, I’ll be there to help.”

“Thanks, this sucks,” Courtney grumbled walking down the hall.

“Melissa better watch out or she’s going to get fired,” Joanne said after Courtney left. “This has got to put her on the line for points.”

“Either that or over,” Lindsay commented on the company’s point system. If an employee racked up five points, they would get fired. Most employees got fired after they acquired the points, but some employees have been known to be kept on a for a probation period. 

“Well I’d better let you get to work, got a long day ahead of you,” Joanne pushed away from the table, walking into the back room to grab her coat and purse. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

“See ya,” Lindsay called as she stood up from the table. She gave a long stretch before she made her way onto the hall to help Courtney out.

Pushing the last resident into the dining room, Lindsay wandered down the hall to the wing opposite of hers. Seeing Christy Montgomery leaned over books she grinned. “How’s it going?”

“Terrible,” Christy leaned back in her chair. “One of my guys escaped last night.”

“Really?” Lindsay asked. 

“Made it all the way into town before someone noticed he was gone,” she grumbled rubbing her eyes.

“That kind of day already?” Lindsay chuckled.

“Oh yeah,” Christy nodded. “I hear you’re short again.”

“Yeah, Melissa is a no show. So I’m out on the floor today with Courtney.”

“Come on, you know you like it. Being stuck behind the nurse’s station isn’t your thing.” 

“It’s nice to get out on the floor every once in awhile,”

“Lindsay Pierce please call the switchboard, Lindsay Pierce please call the switchboard.” The switchboard operator’s voice came over the loud speaker. 

“My fans love me,” Lindsay smiled, leaning over the counter, grabbing the phone receiver. “This is Lindsay Pierce.”

“Lindsay, you have a call from Scottsville Middle School,” Judy, the operator said.

“Patch it through,” Lindsay sighed wondering what Ashlyn could be wanting. After their argument this morning, she could only wonder. “Hello?”

“Ms. Pierce, this is Jackie Smith from Scottsville Middle School.”

“Is Ashlyn okay?” Questions flooded her brain. Why would the school be calling her? The day was only just beginning; Ashlyn would still be in first period. 

“I’m just calling to inform you that Ashlyn was not in school today.”

“What? Are you sure?” Lindsay asked ignoring the look Christy was giving her. “She has to be. I saw her leave the house this morning walking to the bus.”

“She was unaccounted for during morning attendance, Ms Pierce.” Jackie told her. 

“Thank you for calling me, Jackie. I’ll get to the bottom of this. When I find her, expect her back in school.” Lindsay bid the secretary goodbye and hung up the phone.

“What’s wrong?” Christy asked walked to the counter, sitting on the lower portion. 

“Ashlyn isn’t in school today. They just called to let me know,” Lindsay sighed. 

“Uh oh, I hope Anna isn’t her partner in crime.” Christy glanced down at the phone. “But since they are on p, I’ll assume they call in alphabetical order.”

“She is so dead when I find her, skipping school.” Lindsay said as Christy came from the nurses’ station and they made their way to the dining room. “She wanted to go to a sleepover at Brittany’s house this weekend, last week she wanted to dye her hair, this morning I’m the worst mother in the world and now she’s skipping school.”

“Welcome to the life of raising a teenager.”


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Lindsay settled down at her chair behind the nurses’ station after breakfast and passing out morning medication. Her books were all initialed and she grabbed her cell phone. Hitting the speed dial she waited for her mother to pick up.

“Hello?” Grace Pierce answered the phone.

“Mom, have you seen Ashlyn?” 

“Lindsay? Ashlyn should be at school. What’s going on?”

“The school called and told me that Ashlyn was absent. I saw her leave this morning and walk towards the bus stop,” she started to panic. Where was her daughter? 

“I’m sure she’s probably hiding out, skipping school. She’ll be home when the bus is supposed to drop her off.” Grace said, trying to calm her daughter down. “I haven’t heard from her.”

“This isn’t like her, Momma. She always goes to school. All of her friends are in school, so she didn’t skip with any of them.”

“She’s a teenager baby, she’s probably hanging out around town, enjoying that she put one over on her momma. She had to know that the school calls for unexplained absences.”

“I’m just worried. She’s supposed to be at school and I don’t know where she is. You know how that feels when you don’t know where your kid is?”

“Yes I do Lindsay,” Grace said softly. “You want me to drive through town and see if I can’t find her? I’ll try all her favorite places and I’ll even hit the mall.”

“The mall!” Lindsay gasped. “But you need to get on the interstate for that! How could she get there?”

“I’m not saying she’s there, hon. Just let me go look and I’ll call you back.”

Lindsay hung up from her mother and let her head fall on her crossed arms resting on the table. Why would Ashlyn skip school? Was she still mad from this morning when she told her she couldn’t go to the sleepover? Did she run away? Did she slip back into the house after she left, packed up her things and took off? 

“Hey! Linds!” Christy called, giving her shoulder a shake.

Lindsay jumped up, looking up at her friend. “What? Did they find her?”

“No, sweetie, I’m sorry.” Christy smiled sympathetically. “I called the school and spoke with Anna. She hasn’t seen her at school and promised she had no idea of any plans that Ashlyn made to skip school today.”

“Where is she, Chris?” Lindsay sighed. “I just want to leave work and go and search for her myself. I can take a half a personal day. Help mom comb the town.”

“You’re mom is looking for her, you need something to do to pass the time. She’ll probably come back after school.”

“I’m torn between hugging her to death when I see her or grounding her to her room and never letting her out.”

“Come on, let’s get lunch. We have time to run and get something.”

“I don’t think I can eat,” she said but she allowed herself to be pulled from the chair.

They grabbed their coats and made their way into the parking lot before climbing into Christy’s black Chevy cobalt. Pulling from the manor Christy drove into town. “What’s your poison?”

“It will all go to my hips and ass anyway,” Lindsay muttered, looking at the tall signs for the fast food places. 

Christy chuckled before pulling into Taco Bell. “Good?”

“Sure, I haven’t had tacos in awhile,” she shrugged, pulling out the cash from her coat pocket. Passing a five to Christy she said, “The usual.”

“Live a little,” Christy told her, but made the order. Pulling away from the fast food restaurant, she headed back to work. “Ashlyn’s okay Lindsay. She’s a teenager. Teens skip school every once in awhile.”

“But Ashlyn’s never done anything like this before. Where is she? And who is she with?”

**

Ashlyn groaned and winced at the pain that went through her body when she tried to lift her head. She tried to bring her hand up to her forehead but it was trapped. Pulling harder she cried out when her skin pinched in the metal cuffs. 

‘Handcuffed,’ she thought. Why was she handcuffed? What happened? She remembered walking to the bus stop thinking about Bryce. She felt pain on the back of her head then nothing. 

‘What time was it? Where was she? Who would kidnap her?’ The questions flooded her mind. She wasn’t from a wealthy family, so only an idiot was expecting a ransom for her. She felt bile rise in her throat when another thought popped into her mind. 

“Help!” Ashlyn screamed pulling at her arms more, trying to free herself from the handcuffs. “Help me!” She screamed again, thinking about the reason she might had been kidnapped. Some psycho wanted to rape her. He was gonna get what he wanted then he was gonna kill her. “Help!” She cried, feeling tears begin to make their way down her cheeks. 

“Don’t cry, Ashlyn,” a distorted voice whispered, causing her to still and hold her breath. “You don’t have to be afraid of me, I won’t hurt you.”

“Who are you?” Ashlyn cried. “What do you want from me?”

“You’re the answer to a brand new life. Everything I’ve ever wanted.”

“How am I the answer to a new life? Let me go. I want to go home.”

“You’ll go home. As soon as I get what I want.”

“Please don’t hurt me,” Ashlyn cried. “Please just let me go. I won’t tell anyone about this. It will be our secret.”

“Ashlyn, my dear,” the voice laughed. “I can’t do that. Not until I get what I want.”

“What do you want?”

“You’re going to bring me a vacation in the Bahamas, a brand new car and even a house in L.A. maybe even a few houses.” The voice laughed. “Was it my lucky day figuring this out.”

“Figuring what out? What are you talking about?” Ashlyn asked.

“Just sit back and watch, my darling, you’ll see.” The voice stepped from the shadows and Ashlyn sank back in her chair when he came towards her. He wore a black ski mask over his head to hide his identity.

It was then Ashlyn saw the gun he held in his right hand. She gasped tears rolling down her cheeks. 

“You don’t have to be afraid of me,” he ran the barrel of the gun down her cheek, catching a tear that slipped from Ashlyn’s eye. “Don’t cry,” he whispered.

“Just let me go. I want to go home,” Ashlyn whimpered.

“You’ll go home, soon if your mother does what I hope she does.” He picked up the cell phone in his hand dialing numbers. “Not a word until I say so, got it?” When Ashlyn nodded, he hit the send button and put the phone on speaker. 

Both occupants listened to the ringing and Ashlyn’s breath caught when she heard her grandma answer the phone. 

“Hello?” Grace said into the phone.

“Hello Grace,” the man said, pressing the device to his neck again, distorting his voice. Ashlyn had yet to hear his real voice.

“Who is this?”

“I have someone really special here,” he said nodding at Ashlyn. “Say hi.”

“Gramma!” Ashlyn called out. “Gramma help me! He’s got a…” She immediately silenced when she saw the man aim the gun at her. She bit her lip, trying to bit back a cry.

“Ashlyn!” Grace’s heart stopped hearing her granddaughter’s voice. She had just walked into her daughter’s house after checking the town for Ashlyn. She hadn’t had the chance to call Lindsay before their home phone rang. “Let her go!”

“I can’t do that, I need her. She’s my bargaining chip.” The man said.

“What do you want? Don’t hurt her.”

“I don’t plan on hurting her…if you do what I say.”

“We’ll do anything. Anything at all. Just don’t hurt her.” Grace pleaded.

“Good.” The man grinned. His plan was going to work. Hopefully by this time next week, he’ll be on a flight to St. Lucia. Maybe he’d forgo the Bahamas and go to Mexico – Cabo San Lucas had a nice ring to it. “I’ll be getting back to you.”

“What do you want?” Grace cried into the phone.

“I want a lot of things, but right now, I’ll settle on your daughter. I’ll be in touch.” 

“Lindsay? What do you want with Lindsay?” Grace cried, but the phone went dead.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

“Mom?” Lindsay cried frantically as she ran into the house, searching for her mother. “Mom?” She cried, seeing her mother coming from the kitchen. She rushed towards her, pulling her into a hug. “What happened? Who called?”

“I don’t know Linds,” Grace told her. “I just walked into the house when your phone rang. I was hoping it was Ashlyn. But it was some…some computer voice or something. I know it wasn’t their real voice.”

“What did they say? Did you talk to Ashlyn?” Lindsay couldn’t believe it. Someone had kidnapped her daughter. While she was sitting at work, her daughter was taken against her will and God knows what had already happened to her.

“They let her talk,” Grace grabbed Lindsay’s hands. “She sounded okay, scared, but okay.”

“Oh God, what do they want with her?” Lindsay sat down at the kitchen table, her head in her hands. “Why her?”

“We need to call the police.” Grace grabbed the cordless from the cradle. “They need to know that Ashlyn has been kidnapped and the kidnapper has been in contact with us.”

“Yeah, the police,” Lindsay whispered, taking the phone from her mother. She dialed nine-one-one and waited for the dispatcher to pick up.

“911, please state your emergency?” The dispatcher’s voice came across the phone.

“I’d like to report a kidnapping,” Lindsay cried at the words. Calling the police made what happened real. When the police arrived and Grace let them into the house, Lindsay couldn’t say anything; she just sat on the couch and cried.

“Lindsay honey, come on, talk to the police. They’re gonna do everything they can to find her.” Grace sat next to her, wrapping her arm around her.

“Ms. Pierce,” the police officer stepped forward. 

“Yes,” Lindsay raised her head, meeting the officer’s sympathetic gaze. “What do you need?”

“Do you know anyone who would want to take Ashlyn?” Alex Barnes asked, his pencil poised to start writing in his notebook.

“No, no one. Who would want to take a thirteen year old girl?” Lindsay said. “I don’t think she had any enemies, she got along good with everyone at school, barring any teenage girl fights.”

“When did you last see your daughter?”

“Uhm, it was twenty ‘til seven this morning,” Lindsay closed her eyes. “I was getting ready to leave for work and she was on her way out the door to the bus stop.”

“Where is her bus stop?” 

“At the corner of Washington and Conner, it’s just up the block. Her bus arrives at seven. Doug, uhm…Michaelson is her bus driver.”

“When did you find out she was missing?”

Lindsay gave a small cry at the words. Her daughter was missing. 

“Lindsay, I know this is hard. Once they get all the information they can start looking for her.” Grace told her, squeezing her hand.

“When the school called me to tell me she was absent. It was about twenty ‘til eight, maybe a quarter ‘til.” Lindsay tried to remember times. “I’m sorry, I didn’t look at a clock, I’m not sure. I just now it was before eight because breakfast is at eight.”

“You’re doing fine, Ms. Pierce,” Alex reassured her. 

“What was she wearing when she left this morning?”

“She had her blue parka, unzipped because she was mad at me and rebelling. She had on jeans, brown Skechers®. Think they are oxfords. Footsteps. I got them for her birthday,” Lindsay added. “She wore a green v-neck sweater with a white shirt underneath. Believe it was a tank top, it had a lace border. Her book bag was red, with black zippers.”

“Do you have a recent picture of her?” Alex asked when he finished writing down what she was last wearing.

“Yes, just a minute.” Lindsay stood from the couch and made her way to the kitchen counter, that separating the dining room from the kitchen. Grabbing an envelope from the organizer, she slid the contents onto the marble countertop. Grabbing the photos she wanted she walked back to the officer.

“This was taken Labor Day,” she handed Alex a four by six photo of her and Ashlyn taken during a cookout Labor Day weekend. “And this,” she said handing him another photo. “Is her fall picture taken at school in August.”

“Thank you,” Alex tucked the pictures into his notebook. “Now, Ms. Pierce,” he said turning to Grace.

“It’s Grace,” Grace told the officer. “We’ve known each other a long time for the formal pleasantries.”

“Right,” Alex said. “Tell me when you realized that Ashlyn was missing.”

“Well I didn’t know until Lindsay called me at ten-ten fifteen, asking if I’ve seen her. She told me that the school called and I offered to look around town, see if I could find her. I just thought she was skipping school.” Grace said. 

“So you drove around town?”

“Yes and even to the mall to look around, thinking that maybe she had somehow made it to the mall. I didn’t find her, so I came home. I came here to see if by chance she had come home, I just walked in and the phone rang. Thinking it was her, I answered it.”

“What did they say?”

Grace relayed the phone conversation, as tears rolled down her cheeks. She would never be able to get the sound of Ashlyn’s cries out of her head. Her granddaughter was being held by some maniac and she had no idea how to help her. He had promised he wouldn’t hurt her, but how can she trust him? Trust a kidnapper, there was no way.

“He said he would be in touch?”

“Yes, he wanted Lindsay.”

“Anyone have a grudge against you?”

“No, no one.” Lindsay shook her head. “I don’t know who would take Ashlyn or why they want me.”

“Alright, that’s all the questions I have for now. We sat up a tap on your phone for when he calls back,” he motioned at the rest of the team that showed up with him. They had used the dining room table as their stake out, with their gear and equipment scattered upon it. 

“Lindsay, we want you to answer all incoming calls,” Alex explained to her. “Don’t pick up the phone until you get the go ahead from the officer manning the machine. That way they can start the trace right away and record the phone conversation.”

“Okay,” Lindsay nodded.

“We’ll find your daughter, Lindsay,” Alex said. “Officers are canvassing the area and talking with neighbors. As soon as we know anything, we will let you know.”

“Thank you Alex,” Lindsay sent the officer the only smile she could muster. She had dated Alex a couple years ago, but they had split amicably sighting they were better off as friends.

She jumped when the phone rang. Looking wide-eyed at Alex he motioned for her to pick up the receiver. Grabbing the receiver from its base, her hand shook as she moved her fingers over the keypad. 

“He…hello?” 

“Lindsay?” Christy’s voice came over the speaker, and Lindsay let out a sigh. She wasn’t sure what she felt that it was her best friend on the other end instead of the kidnapper.

“How are you doing? The police just left here after questioning Anna.”

“I’m…I’m not doing so good, Chris,” Lindsay whispered, seeing the technician take off the headphones. 

“Everything will be fine, honey,” Christy’s soothing voice said. “If there is anything I can do, anything at all, you just let me know. No matter the time. The same goes for Matt too,” she spoke of her husband. 

“Thank you, Chris,” Lindsay told her, glad that have a good friend. “I need to get off just in case the kidnapper calls.”

“Alright honey, I’m praying for you. I love you sweetie,” Christy clicked off and Lindsay let the phone fall from her ear. Her heart beat wildly when it immediately rang again. After getting the go-ahead, she hit the speaker button.

“Hello?”

“Ah, Lindsay!” The distorted voice rang through everyone’s ears. 

“Where’s my daughter?” Lindsay cried. She saw Alex out of the corner of her eye motioning with his hand to keep the conversation going as he leaned over the table, staring at a computer screen.

“She’s here with me.”

“Is she okay? Did you hurt her? I swear if you…”

“Nuh-huh Lindsay, you’re not in any position to do anything.” The voice laughed. 

“What do you want with me? Who are you?”

“Don’t think you’re getting my identity that easily. You can tell your officer boyfriend that by the time they get the trace and the location, I’ll be long gone.”

Lindsay’s forehead crinkled in confusion as she looked at Alex. How did they know that she dated him? Of course it was old news, they had broken up. 

“Just tell me what you want?”

“In exchange for your daughter, I want one million in cash.”

Lindsay gasped at the amount of money the kidnapper demanded. How was she supposed to come up with a million dollars? There was no way her mother and her would be able to do it. 

“How am I supposed to come up with that kind of cash?”

“I’m sure you think of ways,” the voice told her. “Maybe it’s time to shake the family tree.”

“What are you talking about?” Lindsay asked confused. ‘Shake the family tree,’ she thought. ‘What did that mean?’

“You’re a smart woman, you’ll figure it out.” The voice said. 

The trace popped up with a location and Alex quickly did a double take. The location popped up on College Street in Bowling Green, about a forty minute drive northwest. He quickly scribbled the information down and ran from the house, on his radio letting dispatch know to get in contact with the police department in Bowling Green.

“You have a week to get this, I’ll be in touch.”


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

A million dollars. 

Lindsay stood in her room later that night staring out her bedroom window at the rain the fell from the sky. How was she supposed to come up with that kind of money? She didn’t even know where to begin. 

Mortgaging her house wouldn’t even come up with a fraction of the ransom. Cashing in her 401(k), selling her car wouldn’t even make a dent. She had excellent credit, but no bank would let her take out that big of a loan. 

Hearing the phone ring, she broke away from the window, picking up the receiver next to her bed. Every phone call was being monitored, but her dining room was now clear of cops. The lead they had from the ransom phone call earlier, led to a phone booth in Bowling Green, where they were running prints, but were unlikely to have anything pan out.

“Hello?” Lindsay answered softly.

“Lindsay! I just heard!” Devon McAllister’s voice rang in her ear. “Why didn’t you call me!” 

Devon was Lindsay’s current boyfriend. They had been together for two years. He was an UPS deliveryman, which was how they met. Devon had dropped off a package for a resident at the Manor and Lindsay signed for it. He had left with not only her signature, but her phone number as well. He flew back home last Friday to Texas where his grandfather was ill and wasn’t expected to make it.

“I’m sorry, Mac,” Lindsay sighed. “I’ve just been so worried about Ashlyn I forgot to call you.”

“That’s okay, baby,” Devon soothed. “Do they have any leads?”

“No,” Lindsay filled him in on everything she knew. “Where am I going to get that kind of money?”

“Baby, you know I’ll help you out. I have about twenty thousand or so in savings and not quite sure what’s in my retirement fund…”

“Mac, I can’t ask you to clear out all your savings and retirement.” Lindsay protested.

“You didn’t ask,” Devon gave a short laugh. “I’m offering. I’ll sit down and go over my finances and see what I can come up with.” He paused. “Lindsay, we’re going to find her. We’ll get her back.”

“The cops will find her and bring her back to me,” Lindsay told him. Hearing a soft knock on her bedroom door, she crossed the room to find her mother on the other side. “Mac, I gotta go. Mom’s here and we’re gonna go over some things.”

“Alright, I’ll call you tomorrow. If anything happens and I mean anything, call me.”

“I will. I love you.” Lindsay said before clicking off the phone. “I don’t know what to do mom. How can I raise that much money? Even selling things and mortgaging the house won’t do anything.”

“Honey I’ll help,” Grace sat on the side of the bed, patting the spot next to her. “I have a lot saved up in my retirement fund…”

“No mom…”Lindsay shook her head, adamantly. “I can’t let you do that. You’re gonna retire soon. You need that money.”

“That’s my granddaughter you’re talking about. My retirement will not come before her wellbeing.”

The two women sat in silence, listening to the pounding of the rain against the window. It did nothing to ease their thoughts about Ashlyn being held outside, cold and wet. 

“Lindsay, sweetie,” Grace said breaking the silence. “I need to ask you something. I don’t want to bring up any bad memories…”

“What is it mom?”

“What was said on the phone about shaking the family tree?”

“I don’t know what he meant mom, this is our family tree. You, me and Ashlyn.”

“What about Ashlyn’s father?” Grace said slowly, waiting for the question to sink in. 

Lindsay stilled, staring at the floor. Ashlyn’s father. “No,” she shook her head standing up from the bed. “I’m not going there, Momma. I can’t.” 

‘Is that what the kidnapper meant by shaking the family tree?’ She thought. Did he want her to contact Ashlyn’s father?

“Baby, I know you don’t. But you don’t have much of a choice. You know that with both of us putting money together will never be nowhere near the amount we need.”

“I can’t go to him,” Lindsay repeated. “He doesn’t know about Ashlyn. What do you want me to do? Drop in on an appearance and say, ‘Surprise! I’m the girl you hooked up with back in Telluride in ’94. Yeah, you have a daughter. And by the way, she’s been kidnapped. Could you give me a million dollars so I can pay the ransom?’”

“Lindsay…”

“There has to be another way. No one knows who Ashlyn’s father is. Everyone thinks it’s some jerk I met in college who left when he found out I was pregnant. No one knows the truth.”

“I think someone does, baby.” Grace pursed her lips. “I think someone found out and now is using that to get rich.” She stood up from the bed, giving her daughter a hug. “Think about it sweetie. We don’t have much time or options.”

Lindsay took her place at the window after her mother left to settle in the guest room. Lightning illuminated the room and thunder rattled the house, but she stood un-phased staring out into the yard. Could someone know her secret? The secret that she had kept for thirteen years? 

Moving from the window, she went into her closet. On the top shelf, buried beneath clothes that didn’t fit, lay a shoebox. Tucking it in her hands she made her way to her bed and flipped on the bedside lamp, casting the room in a soft glow. She slowly opened the box and spread the contents on the bed. 

Picking up a photo she smiled, lightly fingering the face as she remembered when the snapshot was taken.

*flashback*

“You ready?” Dale grinned as he zipped up his ski jacket before pulling on his gloves.

“Uh, yeah,” Lindsay said slowly looking at the recreational vehicle in front of her. She looked up meeting Dale’s blue eyes when he stepped in front of her.

“You’ll be fine,” Dale grinned. “Trust me; I won’t let anything happen to you.” He leaned down softly touching her lips with her. “Trust me.”

“You wreck, Earnhardt,” Lindsay playfully glared at him. “You’ll be walking back to the lodge.”

“Oh really?” Dale’s lips curled in a slight smirk. “And why I am walking back?” He stepped closer to her, causing Lindsay to take a step back. “What’s the matter, Linds?” He asked, stepping forward again. “You scared?”

“I ain’t scared of you,” Lindsay stated, raising her chin.

Dale used the opportunity to lower his head and captured her lips. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his body. He felt her sigh and her body melted into his.

“Are we going to go riding today?” Josh Snider asked leaning on the handlebars of his own snow mobile. A ditsy blonde sat behind him.

“Yeah man,” Hank Parker Jr., rolled his eyes. He should have known that Junior would come latched onto the first blonde to catch his eye. “We came out to have a good time.” 

“Lighten up,” Dale called over his shoulder. He reached to Lindsay’s jacket grabbing the zipper making sure it was all the way zipped. “You ready?”

“Let’s see what you got, racer boy,” Lindsay tossed her head back as they made their way to the snowmobile. She got on first, grinning as she sat up front. She nodded towards the seat behind her.

“I don’t think so,” Dale shook his head, pointing to the back.

“We’re gonna be here all flippin’ day,” Hank groaned, crossing his arms over the handlebars laying his head on them. “Come on Junior!”

“I’ll let you drive later,” Dale told her, sending her a smile. 

“You better,” Lindsay slid back allowing Dale to sit in front of her. She heard his friends mumbling ‘finally’. She grinned wrapping her arms around his midsection.

When he started the snowmobile, her arms tightened instinctively causing him to turn his head slightly to look at her. He sent her a grin over his shoulder and Lindsay barely noticed the snap of the camera from one of their tour guides. 

*end flashback*

Laying the picture aside, she wiped a tear away that rolled down her cheek. That smile always could melt her heart. The same crocked smile she saw every time Ashlyn smiled. Ashlyn looked so much like her father, with the same piercing blue eyes, crocked smile, to the dimple on her left cheek and the same birthmark on her hip.

Could she really walk up to him and tell him he had a daughter after all these years? She didn’t even know how to get in contact with him. They never traded phone numbers after their winter rendezvous in the Rockies, each were going somewhere different in their lives, it would be foolish to think they could make a relationship work. They had guidelines set out from the beginning. She knew what she was getting into, but somehow she wound up pregnant. 

Lindsay sighed fingering the bundle of letters she had wrote but never sent. Each telling Ashlyn’s father about her. She wrote many when she found out she was pregnant and the first one she wrote, she dropped in the mail before she lost her nerve. She never heard from him, assumed he didn’t care, didn’t believe her or the letter never got to him. 

With no address, she sent it to his father, probably not the brightest thing to do. She didn’t want to get him in trouble but she didn’t think it would be too bad since he was twenty one. But his father’s fan mail address was the only one she could find that would get it remotely close to him. She didn’t want to go to North Carolina and start searching for him.

‘Maybe I should have,’ she thought. How different would her life be now if she would have told him she was pregnant? Where would she be now?

Taking the top letter from the stack, she removed it from its envelope and opened the paper; her own loopy handwriting stared back at her. The date in the corner read, January 6th, 1995.

Dear Dale,


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

“Good morning, Momma,” Lindsay as she walked into the kitchen, where her mother sat at the kitchen table. 

“Good morning, baby,” Grace tilted her head up to receive her daughter’s kiss on the cheek. “There is hot water in the kettle on the stove.”

“Thanks,” Lindsay walked to the stove and poured the hot water into a coffee cup. Grabbing a tea bag from the jar, she dunked it in the water, adding four spoonfuls of sugar.

“How are you doing this morning?” 

“Not good. She’s been out there somewhere with a maniac all night.” Lindsay sat down at the table, wrapping both her hands around the warm mug. “I kept worrying if he was hurting her, if she was alright. It was cold and raining last night, I wondered if she was someplace warm and got something to eat.”

“If I wasn’t worrying about that, I was thinking about Dale.” She took a sip from her hot tea.

“I didn’t want to bring up bad…”

Lindsay waved her off. “No Momma, it’s okay. My memories of Dale aren’t bad. The only bad memory I have from the time we were together was saying goodbye.”

“I wished you would have stayed in contact with him,” Grace told her daughter. She had listened to Lindsay talk about her vacation in Telluride, Colorado and go on and on about the guy she had met.

“Me too Momma, but it wasn’t what we wanted. We just…we just had a good time in the time that we had together.” Lindsay explained. “I didn’t know I’d end up pregnant.”

“I know you didn’t hon.” Grace gave her daughter’s hand a pat. “What did you decide to do?”

“I think I’m gonna go to North Carolina,” Lindsay said after a moment of silence. “I just don’t know what I’m going to do when I get there.”

**

While her mother went to the store, Lindsay picked up the phone. “Hello Alex.” She said when the officer answered the phone.

“Lindsay? Did something happen? Did he make contact again?” Alex asked.

“No, no…nothing like that.” Lindsay breathed a sigh. She wasn’t sure this was the right thing to do, but she had let someone know. Alex was the only one she could trust. “Do you think you could come over? There is something I want to talk to you about.”

“Are you okay?” Alex stood, grabbing his jacket form the back of his chair, quickly slipping it over his blue uniform shirt. 

“I just need to tell you something.”

“I’ll be right over.”

Lindsay was waiting in the living room when Alex showed up at her door. She led him into the living room, letting his sit on the couch while she stood at the window. Thoughts ran threw her mind, she didn’t know where she wanted to begin. She’s never told anyone, outside her mother, the words she was about to say in more than thirteen years.

“I need to tell you something. But I want it off record.”

“Lindsay, if you know something about Ashlyn’s kidnapping, you have to come forward? Why did you hold back?”

“I don’t know who took Ashlyn. Don’t you think if I knew I would have told you?”

“Yes, I’m sorry. Alright, what you have to say is off record. But Linds, if this is significant, I have to go with it.”

“It’s about Ashlyn’s father,” Lindsay started taking a deep breath. She noticed Alex sit up straight. While they had dated, he had asked about it, but could never get an answer out of her. “I’ve never told anyone, he doesn’t even know about her.”

“Well maybe he found out and he kidnapped her.”

“No, no…”

“Lindsay, you don’t know. A lot could happen in thirteen years since you’ve seen him…” He stopped seeing Lindsay shake her head.

“No, Alex listen,” this was so hard. “Ashlyn’s father is Dale Earnhardt Jr.”

Alex couldn’t stop his jaw from dropping. He was certainly not expecting this information. He would have never guessed the popular race car driver would be Ashlyn’s father.

“We met in Colorado. He was vacationing in the same town that I had a job,” Lindsay started. “We spent two weeks together before he left to go back home. That’s the last I saw him. A few weeks later, I found out I was pregnant.” She felt a tear run down her cheek and she brushed it away. “I didn’t know how to contact him. I wrote a letter, sending it to his dad’s fan mail, but I never heard anything.”

“Maybe he got it and didn’t care and now he wants his kid.” Alex couldn’t stop the thoughts rushing through his head. This made the case more important than the chief thought. He had to let them know about this information. Someone needed to go to North Carolina and question the superstar. 

Lindsay turned around to face Alex and saw the look on his face. “No, Alex. You’re not telling anyone this information.” She shook her head. “Absolutely not.”

“Lindsay, this is huge!” Alex stood up. “The guys need to know this. This opens up a whole bunch of new avenues for this kidnapping. We need to send someone to question him…”

“No!” Lindsay shouted. “You are not telling anyone about this!”

“Linds…”

“Damnit Alex, I told you this because I trusted you with the information. He doesn’t know about Ashlyn, I’m not going to have him find out from a bunch of cops or in the headlines.”

“Jesus, you think I’m gonna go to the press with this?” 

“Please Alex, you can’t tell anyone.”

“Lindsay I got to investigate…”

“I know you have to do your job, but please, don’t tell anyone this. Please?” Lindsay pleaded with him.

“Alright,” Alex sighed, leaning back against the couch. “Why did you tell me this?”

“I’m going to North Carolina…” she shook her head seeing Alex start to open his mouth. “I need to tell him myself. He needs to hear that he has a daughter from me. I owe him that much.”

Alex stared at Lindsay. He saw the bags underneath her eyes, the worry lines around mouth; it was like she had aged over night. He let out a sigh and stood up walking across the living room towards her. “Do you know what you’re doing?”

“No, I have no idea what I’m doing.” Lindsay looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “I have to tell a man that he’s a father of a thirteen year old girl that I never told him about. If that’s not bad enough, I have to turn around and tell him she’s been kidnapped with a million dollar asking price.”

“I’m sorry, Linds,” Alex wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him. He closed his eyes at the familiarity of holding her again. The flowery scent of her perfume reached his nose. “Curious?”

“Yeah,” Lindsay pulled away, blushing. 

Alex smiled. “No one can wear that perfume better than you.”

“You still buy it for all your girlfriends?” Lindsay walked into the kitchen, opening the fridge pulling out a Pepsi. Offering one to Alex, she leaned against the counter, taking a sip. 

“No, you ruined that for me,” Alex said taking a drink. He sent her a smile and a wink. “How’s your delivery man? I haven’t seen him around here lately. Trouble in paradise?”

“No, he’s back in Texas. His grandfather is sick.” Lindsay sighed. “How am I going to do this Alex? How do I tell Dale?”

“You’re just gonna have to tell him.”

“He’s gonna be mad.”

Alex nodded, “Yeah.”

“You’re not helping,” Lindsay didn’t know how she was gonna do this. Just walk up to a man she hadn’t seen in over a decade and spring the news of a child on him. She sighed.

“I’m sorry. I can’t tell you that it will be okay. I don’t know how he’d take it. If it were me, I’d be pissed.”

“Not what I wanted to hear,” Lindsay sighed.

Alex took a step towards, cupping her chin with his palm. “You’re just gonna have to tell him. He’ll be mad but if he’s a good man, he’ll get over it and he’ll help you.”

Lindsay smiled. “Thanks Alex.”

“Anytime,” Alex smiled at her. “I’d better get back to work. You taking off today?”

Lindsay walked him to the door. “Yeah, I need to get there soon. I still don’t know how I’m going to contact him. He’s a lot more famous than he was in ’94.”

Alex chuckled, “A lot more.” He pulled her into his arms, giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Be careful. If you get thrown in jail for some crazy scheme, call me.”

“I will.”

“I’ll keep you posted on any leads we get. Call me everyday to check in,” Alex told her before starting down the walk.

Lindsay watched Alex drive away and sighed. She felt her stomach tighten and rung her hands. She wished there was an easier way, but she had to get her daughter back, and Dale was her only way.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Lindsay sighed as she pulled off the interstate at the Mooresville exit. Turning left she made her way towards the Days Inn. She had been driving for seven hours and on the road for eight. 

After Alex left, she packed and her mother drove in. By the time she explained everything to Grace and got on the road it was almost one in the afternoon. All she wanted now was a shower and out of her car.

Securing a room for two days, she drove around the building and parked outside her door. Grabbing her bag from the passenger seat she made her way to her room. Sitting her duffle bag on the floor she slid out of her shoes and lay down on the bed staring up at the ceiling.

She had no idea what she was doing here. How was she supposed to get near the most popular driver in NASCAR? And once she did get to talk to him, how was she supposed to tell him about Ashlyn? She knew she wouldn’t have a hard to proving it to him.

She stared at her duffle bag that besides a couple changes of clothes, held a shoe box that housed all her letters, and photographs not only of their trip in Telluride, but photos of Ashlyn from birth up to Labor Day. She hoped that he would take one look at her and realized she looked just like him.

Her mind wondered from Dale to her daughter. The kidnapper hadn’t made contact with her after demanding the ransom. She didn’t even get to talk to Ashlyn to make sure for herself that she was okay. 

What was going to happen if Dale sent her packing, if he didn’t believe her or worse didn’t care and didn’t want to help her? How was she going to raise one million dollars on her own? Even with the money she and her mother put together along with whatever Devon would offer, she knew it wouldn’t come close.

She hoped that whoever had Ashlyn, they had made good on their promise not to hurt her. That she was being fed and given water and allowed to use the bathroom. She was being kept someplace warm. 

She knew she wasn’t being reasonable. What kidnapper would kidnap a girl, and then take care of her? What if they were and she didn’t come up with the ransom. Then what would they do to Ashlyn?

Shaking the thoughts from her head, Lindsay tried not to think about Ashlyn being hurt. Pushing up from the bed and grabbing her bag, she lifted the shoe box out before ruffling through the clothes, grabbing her toiletry bag; she headed into the bathroom to take a hot shower.

Lying in bed after her shower, she turned the television off not finding anything worth watching. She knew tomorrow was going to be tough. She didn’t have much time to catch Dale before they flew to Talladega for the weekend’s race. Pulling the covers over her shoulders, Lindsay sighed and closed her eyes.

**

The next morning Lindsay made her way towards JR Motorsports. Sitting outside the complex she stared at the building in front of her. She didn’t know if he was here are not. She would have probably had a better shot at going to Hendrick Motorsports. But that was a well-known facility and more people would be there, working and visiting.

Lindsay sighed and leaned her head on the steering wheel, her eyes closed. She tried to picture how the meeting would go. Every moment conjured in her mind did nothing to settle her flip-flopping stomach. 

Taking a deep breath she grabbed the shoe box and climbed from the car. She didn’t remember walking across the parking lot but she somehow ended up in a gift shop. Making a small circle she looked at the t-shirts, die-cast cars and hats and closed her eyes. Every time she saw Dale’s face on something, his eyes seemed to stare at her accusingly.

She nearly dropped her shoe box when her phone chirped. Digging her purse she pulled the device out. “Hello?”

“Have you talked to him yet?” Alex asked.

“I don’t think I can,” Lindsay sighed, making her way out of the gift shop and back out the front doors. “If I can even find him, then get close enough to actually get his attention. I don’t know if I can do it.”

“You have to do it, Lindsay. Your daughter is counting on you!”

She felt tears pierce her eyes and blinked rapidly; hoping to hold them off, but the slipped one by one down her cheeks. 

“I don’t know how to get in contact with him. I don’t know where he is. I don’t know how to find him. I’d give this box and my number to someone to give to him, but I don’t know if it would get to him and it’s too impersonal.”

“You’ll find him, Linds,” Alex said softly. “I know you will.”

“It’s not a matter of finding him; it’s whether I can get him to talk to me.” She sighed and sat down on the curb in front of the building, rubbing her face. “I’m out of my league.”

“No you’re not. You’ll think of something. Do not let him leave North Carolina without knowing about Ashlyn. If he does, you’re gonna have to let me tell the chief and he’s gonna have to get a hold of him in Alabama via police. You don’t want him finding out that way.”

Hanging up from Alex, she realized that he was right. If Dale made it to Talladega how he found out about Ashlyn was out of her hands. They needed to contact him and inform him about the ransom and his daughter. She didn’t like the fact that Dale might find out about his daughter over the phone by some random police officer.

Realizing that she needed to go back inside and not take no for an answer, she drew a deep breath and briefly wondered if she would end up in jail. But she had to do something. 

Clenching her jaw, she stood up quickly and turned around, determined to go back inside the building and demand, beg and plead until she got what she wanted. She had stepped off so quickly she failed to see the woman walking near her and they collided. Lindsay lost her footing and the grip she had on her shoe box. Both women clattered to the ground.

“I’m so sorry!” Lindsay said as she quickly stood up, wincing at her sore joints from hitting the concrete. She reached out a hand to help the other woman up. “I should have been watching where I was going.”

“No, that’s okay,” Kelley Elledge brushed her business suit off. “I wasn’t expecting you to come up that fast.”

“My fault, I shouldn’t have…” she stopped and looked down seeing the lid had fallen off the shoebox and her pictures where scattered on the ground. She quickly bent down and started scooping them up, she didn’t need fans seeing them and drawing conclusions and posting about it on the internet.

“Let me help,” Kelley said, kneeling down. Grabbing the pictures she couldn’t help but look at them. They all seemed to be of the same girl and Kelley couldn’t get passed the similarities. When she grabbed another photo, she stilled. Looking back at the woman her eyes narrowed.

“I know you.”

“Ex…excuse me?” Lindsay stuttered looking up at the woman. She searched her features but couldn’t come up with a name. She didn’t know who the woman was. 

“Telluride…” Kelley whispered looking back down at the picture she held in her hand. The same picture that sat on her brother’s desk. 

Lindsay paled and bit her lip. ‘Telluride?’ She wondered. ‘Why did she call me Telluride?’

“I’ve seen this picture before,” Kelley held up a picture and Lindsay recognized it as one from Telluride. It was another from the guided snow mobile tour, only this time, it was a group shot. “You know Dale.”

Lindsay merely nodded. She had yet to figure out who the woman was and decided not to say anything that could ruin her chances of getting to Dale.

“I’m Kelley, Dale’s sister,” Kelley held out her hand.

Lindsay’s eyes shot to the woman. Dale’s sister? She noticed the hand and grabbed it, giving it a shake. “I’m uh…I’m surprised you remember that picture. It was taken a long time ago.” She was aware that everyone on the trip got copies of the photos they were in, but she didn’t know if any of the other guys had kept theirs.

“Oh I see this picture quite often,” Kelley smiled. “Dale keeps this picture on his desk in his office here. No one knows much about it other than it was taken in Telluride.”

She let the information roll around in her mind. Dale kept this picture on his desk. Why? She shook her head, not wanting to read anymore into it. He probably kept it because of his friends that were in the shot.

“Even Josh and Hank don’t say much about it,” Kelley said. “Must have been some vacation they all took.”

Lindsay knew this was probably her only chance at getting to Dale. Running into his sister had given her an opening. 

“It was a pretty good vacation,” Lindsay said. “I was working most of it, but the guys were good about letting me tag along.”

Kelley nodded. She was sure this girl tagged along for the purposes of fun. But she knew there was more than that. Whatever it was, her brother was in the middle of it. She was a little leery of the woman. She had to be protective of Dale, had to look out for his well-being when sometimes all he cared about was getting laid. 

But this girl didn’t look like the normal pit lizards that tried to land Dale. Kelley still wasn’t sure. She had known Dale long before he became ‘Dale Junior, NASCAR superstar’. Her mind told her that she was coming back to try to get a piece of his money now. But she still couldn’t wrap her mind around that she had waited thirteen years later to do so. Kelley would have figured once Dale hit it rich, this woman would have been knocking at his door.

Lindsay bit her bottom lip nervously. She couldn’t let this opportunity pass. She needed this woman’s help. “Would I be able to see Dale?” She asked in a quiet tone and held her breath. 

“Look,” Kelley paused when she didn’t know the woman’s name.

“Lindsay…”

“Look Lindsay, you have to understand where I’m coming from,” Kelley started and watched as the life seemed to fade from Lindsay’s eyes and found her changing her mind. “Let’s go in my office and talk.”


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

“Look Lindsay, I don’t know why I agreed to this,” Kelley started, sitting behind her desk. Sitting there she was now beginning to regret asking Lindsay to come with her. “I’m trying to protect my brother from the women who are after him for his money.”

“Kelley, I…” Lindsay paused. What could she say? In a roundabout way, that’s exactly what she was here for - Dale’s money. 

“I don’t mean to offend you, but when it’s a trend, I become a little wary of all women when it concerns Dale.” 

“Kelley, I just want to talk to him. I wanted to catch him before he leaves for Talladega. I’m only in town today.” Lindsay knew that if she didn’t get passed Kelley, she wouldn’t be seeing Dale, unless she caught him as she was being escorted from the building. 

If that was the case, she would have to spill her story to Kelley and see what happened from there. She couldn’t leave North Carolina without telling Dale and if she couldn’t, his sister was the next best thing.

Kelley watched the younger woman with suspicion. Glancing down at the box that sat on Lindsay’s lap, she began to wonder what Lindsay was all about. She had been worried when the box dumped during their spill and had been frantic to pick them all up. 

She couldn’t hold that against her. If her things dumped, especially papers, she would be frantic to get them too before the wind got them. Kelley’s heart slammed in her throat she the pictures flashed through her mind. The blue eyed blonde grinning up at her.

Kelley’s hands shook and she clasped them together. “I should probably call a lawyer shouldn’t I?”

“Wh..what?” Lindsay asked surprised. Meeting Kelley’s eyes, her heart pounded against her ribs. In that instance she knew that Kelley knew.

“The pictures…” Kelley pointed to the box. “You’re here to claim that she’s Dale’s. You are after Dale’s money.” She reached for the phone.

“No, wait…” Lindsay cried, placing her hand atop Kelley’s, stopping her movement. All she wanted to do was talk to Dale. “Please, just give me a chance to explain before you kick me out. That’s all I ask. After that, if you want, I’ll leave and you won’t hear about it again. Please.” She pleaded.

“Explain,” Kelley leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. She watched as Lindsay opened the box and withdrew the pictures.

“This is Ashlyn, my daughter,” Lindsay slid a stack of pictures across the desk. “She’s thirteen years old and was born August 25th, 1995. I met Dale in Telluride in 94. He was vacationing with his friends, Josh and Hank. I was working as a bartender in the lodge. I’ll spare the details, but we got together and spent the two weeks together. We didn’t want a relationship. It was clear for both of us from the beginning that it was just a ‘fling’.

“We didn’t exchange phone numbers or addresses, we just said goodbye,” Lindsay paused in her story as Kelley sifted through the photos. “I found out I was pregnant a couple weeks later. I had no way to get in contact with Dale. I wrote a letter and sent it to his…your father’s fan mail. When I didn’t hear back from him, I assumed he never got it or he didn’t care.”

“This was thirteen years ago, there were countless of opportunities to contact him before now,” Kelley didn’t know what to say. She had never encountered a woman trying to pass of Dale’s baby from before he became a well-known race car driver. The pictures weren’t lying and Kelley knew as she stared down at the girl that she was staring at her niece, Dale’s daughter.

Lindsay grabbed the stack of letters from the box holding them up. “These are every single letter that I’ve wrote Dale.”

“Doesn’t help if they aren’t sent…” Kelley pointed out.

“I didn’t send them. They are all stamped and sealed. I couldn’t do it,” Lindsay sighed. “I wrote these letters; everyone telling Dale about Ashlyn. I intended to send everyone, but when the time came to do it, I couldn’t.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know,” Lindsay stated, hearing Kelley scoff. “I know that’s not the answer you want to hear, and I know that’s not what Dale wants to hear either. I told myself that what twenty one year old is going to want to be strapped down with a baby? I knew he wanted to race, he told me all about his dreams.

“I didn’t want to leave Colorado. That was my home. My dad lived there. I was going to college there. That was my argument in the beginning. But as the years went on, it just got too late to say anything. It just got harder and harder.”

“Then why are you here now? What brought you to seek Dale out and finally tell him about Ashlyn?”

Lindsay bit her lip and let a slow breath out. “I need his help.”

“What kind of help?” Kelley asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Ashlyn was kidnapped yesterday…” she let the information sink in. “The kidnapper is demanding a million in ransom.” She held her breath and waited.

“So it was about money,” Kelley shook her head. She pegged Lindsay’s wrong. She was here for money. “You want me to make the check out to you?”

“Wh..what?” Lindsay stammered.

“The check? That’s what this is all about. You want money. They all do.”

“No…no,” Lindsay shook her head. “You don’t believe me?”

“No I don’t. I’ve seen this movie before,” Kelley reached for the phone. “A woman cries that she’s carrying Dale’s baby or had his baby. It’s never true and all they are after is a payoff.”

“It’s true damnit!” Lindsay shouted standing up. “You don’t believe me? Call the Kentucky State Police. Check the amber alerts! You’ll find it, Ashlyn Makayla Pierce thirteen, blonde hair, blue eyes, five foot seven, 120 pounds, last seen walking to the bus stop in Scottsville, Kentucky. Wearing a blue parka, jeans, green sweater,” she rambled. “But no gloves because she was mad at me for not letting her go to a boy-girl sleepover.” The tears streamed down her face and she fought to catch her breath. 

Kelley let her hand fall from the phone and stood up from her chair, rushing around the desk. She wrapped her arms around Lindsay, pulling her into a hug. 

“I just want my baby home,” Lindsay cried. “I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t want Dale to find out this way.”

“Shhh, it’s okay,” Kelley murmured leading her to the couch at the side of the room. She knelt them both down on the black leather. She moved to grab tissues from the box and handed them back to her. When her cell phone, she went to her desk to answer it.

“Hello?”

“Hey sis,” Dale’s voice rang on the other end. He climbed into his truck and pulled from the Hendrick complex. “I’m leaving HMS right now; do you need me to stop over there before I head to the airport?”

Kelley looked at the blonde, crying on her couch and closed her eyes. This was not going to go well. Dale was going to angry. She thought about calling for reinforcements.

“Kelley? Hello? Are you there? Kelley?”

“Yeah, I need you to come here.” Kelley saw Lindsay look up and wished there was something she could do to soften both the blow for her brother and the reaction that Lindsay had no idea was coming.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Dale pulled into JR Motorsports and started for the doors; wondering what Kelley had needed him for. Looking at his watch, he had two hours before he had to meet the plane in Concord. He hoped whatever it was, wouldn’t take long.

Making his way down the hall towards Kelley’s office, he pushed the door open. He froze in the door way seeing his sister on the couch, her arms wrapped around a blonde. When both heads turns towards him, he stared in shock at the blonde; a face he never thought he’d see in person again.

“Lindsay,” he breathed unable to move.

Lindsay stared at the man she had spent one of her most cherished memories with. He had filled out his wrangler jeans better than she had remembered. His brownish-blonde hair no longer held the light blonde high lights that donned his head in the ‘90s. She had loved the high lights, but they were something a man in his thirties didn’t wear. A neatly trimmed beard covered his chin.

The nineteen year old blonde from Telluride had morphed into a beautiful woman. Dale’s eyes roamed her body, taking in the changes. Her hair was a shade darker and longer. He wondered if it was still as soft as he remembered and if she still used the same fruity shampoo. She had more curves then he remembered and her breasts looked fuller. Even with all the changes, he knew she would still fit perfectly against him. His arms ached to reach out and touch her, to pull her against him. 

“Dale, when do you have to be at the airport?” Kelley asked getting her brother’s attention.

“Uhm, two…” Dale said, finally looking at his sister. “I uh didn’t know you two knew each other.” He looked back and forth between the two women.

“We just met today,” Kelley said, when Lindsay didn’t say anything. “We ran into each other outside, literally.”

“Wow…this is a surprise,” he couldn’t get passed the shock of seeing Lindsay again. “So how have you been? Do you still live in Colorado?”

“No, I moved to Kentucky to be near my mother,” Lindsay told him, leaving out the fact that she moved to Kentucky so her mother could help her during her pregnancy and after. 

“So what are you doing now? Do you still get back out to the Rockies, visit your father?”

Lindsay bit her lip at the unexpected rush of tears. “No, my father died in ’99. I went to college in Kentucky. I work as a registered nurse at a nursing home.”

“Oh, Linds, I’m sorry,” Dale wanted to kick himself for bringing up bad memories, but he had no idea her father had passed on. 

“That’s okay; it was a long time ago.”

“Still doesn’t mean that it doesn’t hurt.”

“Lindsay?” Kelley spoke up. She hated to cut down the conversation, but they didn’t have much time. If he wasn’t on time, Rick Hendrick would have his ass. “Dale has a plane to catch.”

“Are you going to be in town long?” Dale asked, hoping he could get together when he got back.

“Oh no, I’m going back home tomorrow.” Lindsay took a deep breath. This was the moment that plagued her mind for thirteen years.

“Back to work huh?”

“No, I’m on a leave of absence.”

“Dale, Lindsay has something to tell you.” Kelley said quietly, giving Lindsay’s hand a squeeze before standing up, moving towards the desk, out of the way. She felt for the woman, couldn’t imagine being in her shoes. 

“What is it?” Dale asked confused, staring from his sister to Lindsay. “Linds, what is it?” He moved to sit down next to her on the couch. “You can tell me. I’m still the same Dale I was in Telluride.”

“After we left Telluride,” Lindsay’s eyes caught Dale’s. She saw the questions in them, wondering what she was going to tell him. What she could possibly have to tell him after all these years. “I..uhm…”

“You what?” Dale asked softly. He took her hand in his, encouraging her to tell him what was on her mind.

“I found out I was pregnant,” Lindsay blurted. She saw confusion and surprise flicker through his eyes before giving way to anger. “Ashlyn is thirteen years old…”

Dale shot to his feet. “What! You’re telling me that I have a kid?”

“Yes, Ashlyn. She was…”

“After all this time, you want to come and tell me that I fathered your baby.” Dale yelled pacing the office floor. Fathered a child? Him? 

“Dale, this isn’t…”

“What do you want? Did you hit a rough patch? You’re on a leave of absence, is that a way of putting getting fired? You want me to give you money. Is that what you want? It’s what they all want.”

Dale’s mind was running a mile a minute. He clenched and unclenched his fists, trying to save himself from punching a wall or worse yet, choking Lindsay. He couldn’t believe this. She wanted to come back after thirteen years and pin a child on him? There was no way this lady was going to see a dime of his money.

“The kid ain’t even mine!” Dale ranted. “You were in the Rockies the whole winter. You hook up with someone else after I left? Is that it? You tell him about being pregnant and he drops you, so now you come back to me because I fucked you during that time too?

Lindsay looked down at the floor unable to say anything. His words cut her skin. She had tried to prepare herself for this meeting, but nothing could prepare her for the hurt that his words caused. She knew he would be angry, upset even. But she never expected a rant to come out of the man she had known. 

“Unbelievable! You called me here to listen to this bullshit!” Dale turned to his sister. “Un-fucking-believable! You are just like the rest. Just like the other fuckin’ gold digging sluts that just want my money.”

“Dale…” Kelley stepped forward intent to stop Dale’s tirade.

“No. No,” Dale threw his hands up. “I want her out of here. Get her out of my face! I never want to see her at this office again.” He glared down at Lindsay, her shoulders softly shaking. He felt the urge to reach out to her; comfort her like he did back in the mountains. But he clenched his hands; she was just like the rest of them. “Get security up here. I want her removed from the premises.” 

Lindsay stood and took a shaky breath. Rising her head, she caught site of Dale, his fisted hands at his side, his mouth drawn in a thin line, his blue eyes narrowed in a glare towards her. 

“I may not be proud of what I’ve done,” Lindsay said slowly. “I should have told you when I found out. But I don’t deserve to be called a slut or a gold-digger.” Lindsay grabbed her purse, walking towards the door. “Believe it or not, you were the only asshole I slept with.” She turned and strode from the office. “I can see myself out.”

“I’m disappointed in you,” Kelley crossed her arms, glaring at her brother.

“Well the feeling is mutual,” Dale said as he took a seat in the chair. “How could you believe her?”

“I didn’t at first…” Kelley sat down behind her desk. “Then she told me her story.”

“I can’t wait to hear this,” Dale muttered. “What’s this?” He asked pointing towards the shoe box that Lindsay left on the desk.

“Her proof to go with her story, you should look,” she nodded towards the box. 

“I don’t have time for this,” Dale stood up. “I have a plane to catch. Make sure she doesn’t come back. If she does…call the cops. I want her arrested.”

“Don’t you dare walk out of this office,” Kelley yelled. “Sit your ass down.”

“Kelley…”

“You’re gonna listen to me,” Kelley moved around her desk to sit on the edge. Reaching over she grabbed a picture from the box. Holding it up, she looked at Dale. “Look at it. Look.” She repeated herself, when Dale didn’t look. “You look at that little girl and you tell me that she not yours.”

Dale dropped his eyes to the photograph in his sister’s hand and to the adorable blonde haired girl, who couldn’t have been more than five at the time. She had a back pack slung over her shoulders and was giving the camera a toothy grin. His heart clenched seeing the twinkling blue eyes and the crocked smile. 

The picture had stopped him cold. He had no doubt that he was staring at his little girl.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Dale sat in his motor coach that night, nursing a beer after turning down going to the bar with the guys. The day’s events still ran through his mind. It was like they were on repeat and he couldn’t find the stop button. He still couldn’t fathom the idea that he was the father of a thirteen year old girl, a teenager. 

Maybe the only reason he was entertaining the idea - when before he would toss the accusations aside and have his lawyer deal with the mess – was because he was thirty three years old, soon to be thirty four. Most guys his age already had a family of their own. 

He always thought women were a little crazy when they talking about clocks, but for a year or so, he heard his own clock ticking loudly in his ears. He never wanted children before as bad as he did now. He always told himself, not this year, maybe next year. Now with his birthday around the corner, he knew he wasn’t getting any younger. He wondered what his friends would think of him if they knew he fantasized about ticking clocks and changing diapers.

Dale finished off his beer can and grabbed another from his refrigerator. As he leaned against the counter, his eye caught sight of the shoe box Kelley insisted he take. He almost left it in his truck at the airport, but something compelled him to shove it in his bag. He hadn’t been able to talk himself into opening the container.

Making his way back to the couch, he fingered the lid. Taking a deep breath he opened the box, grabbing a handful of pictures in his hand.

‘Look at her Dale, look,’ Kelley’s voice whispered through his ears. ‘You look at that baby girl and you tell me that she doesn’t look like you.’

He smiled seeing a naked chest Ashlyn, sitting in a highchair, with what looked to have been spaghetti sauce smeared over her face, chest and through her red-blonde hair. He chuckled, wondering just how much food actually made it in her mouth.

He shuffled through the next few pictures seeing several of Ashlyn playing in the bathtub, around the house, and outside. He saw one of her playing in the snow and in a kiddie pool. He grinned when he saw her holding a grape Popsicle and could only imagine the sticky mess she was. There had to be hundreds of photos in the box and Dale looked at every single one. His eyes lingered on a few longer than others and some he went back to. 

‘Do you honestly believe Lindsay is the type of person who would come after you for money?’ Kelley’s voiced taunted him. ’Thirteen years later she decides to tell you about Ashlyn, if she wanted money, why didn’t she tell you in 98 when your career started to take off?’

 

Laying the pictures aside, he picked up the bundle of letters and moved the box off his lap. Fingering the first one, he removed the paper from the envelope. Taking a deep breath he began to read.

Dear Dale,

This is the second letter that I’m going to send you. I’m not sure if you received the first, but this is the only way I know how to get in contact with you. I hope you read the whole thing before casting it aside.

We agreed that our relationship was only for the ‘now’. That when we left the Rockies we were going our separate ways. It was for the best, you wanted to race and I wanted to stay in Colorado and finish college. Those dreams we had would never allow us to be together, they wouldn’t coincide. My home was here, yours in North Carolina.

I don’t know what led me to get a job at that bar. But when I saw you walk in, I knew it would be a winter I would remember. Spending every moment with you by the fire, talking about our futures, our secrets, our desires…It was like a dream we were living in, I was the happiest I’d ever been.

Knowing that we were going to have to say good bye didn’t make it any easier when the time came. It was like a movie scene, you holding me, my tears staining your jacket, you telling me that everything will be okay. I felt my heart break the minute you got in the car and drove away. I wanted to rewind time, bring you back to me again, but I knew it wasn’t possible. You had your life to live, dreams to chase, footsteps to follow. 

You’re a hard man to track down and even now I don’t know if this is going to reach you, but I have to try. You deserve to know. But there is no easy way to say what I’m about to say. I’m pregnant. I’m ten weeks along. 

It’s yours, Dale. You are the only one I’ve slept with. The whole winter I was wrapped up with you, even after you left. No one caught my eye and I didn’t want them to. I was held up on thinking you might walk back through those doors.

I’m telling you this not because I expect you to come back. I’m telling you because you have a right to know about your child. 

If you want to contact me, my address is on the envelope and my number is (760) 555-3871. 

**

Dale groaned and rolled over, catching himself before he fell on the floor. Opening his eyes he looked around the room and noticed that he had fallen asleep on his couch. Hearing the knock again, he sat up, knocking the pictures that were laid on his chest onto the floor. 

“Just a minute,” he called. He leaned down gathering up the photos, throwing them back into the box. Putting the lid on, he made his way to the door, opening it he saw his boss on the other side. 

“Good morning, Mr. H,” he stepped aside inviting his car owner inside.

“Morning Dale,” Rick Hendrick said as he looked his driver up and down. “You look like shit.”

“Thanks boss,” Dale rubbed a hand over his face. He had no idea how late he had been up the night before, but knew it was well into the morning. He memorized every letter and looked through the pictures again. When he fell asleep, it had been restless.

“You drink all those or did you have help?” Rick pointed towards the coffee table littered with beer cans. 

“Uh…I did.”

“You need to talk about it?” Rick frowned. He was happy that they were able to work out the contract to bring the most popular driver over to his team of drivers. He considered Dale like a son to him. They had a connection that very few people had. Rick had lost his son in a plane crash and Dale lost his father in a car crash. “You know you can talk to me about anything.”

“Yeah,” Dale sighed, looking at the shoe box. He moved to the living room sitting on the couch. “I think so. I, uh, don’t know how to handle this.”

“Uh-oh…” Rick took a deep breath before sitting in the recliner across from Dale. From the look on the younger man’s face, he knew this was going to be big. “Alright, June, tell me what’s bothering you.”

“I have a daughter…” Dale started and told Rick everything that had happened the day before. “I just…I don’t know. This isn’t the first time someone’s tried to plant a child on me. But I—”

“Think it’s yours.” Rick finished Dale’s sentence. Seeing him nod, Rick sighed. “Did she have any proof that the child is yours?”

“Just pictures and letters…” Dale opened the lid and showed Rick the pictures. He didn’t offer the letters, they were too personal. 

“June…” Rick flipped through the pictures shaking his head. The resemblance was uncanny. “You think these are real?”

“Unless you have an amazing ability and talent, you can’t Photoshop something like that. She looks like me,” Dale ran a hand through his hair. “What do I do? Lindsay hid my daughter for thirteen years and she’s only here now because she needs my help. If this hadn’t of happened, would she even be here to tell me about Ashlyn? Would I have ever known about her?”

“The kidnapping’s real?” Rick watched as Dale dug around on his coffee table, producing a white paper. His heart jumped when he saw the black bold header, ‘Have you seen this child?’ There was a school photograph beneath Ashlyn’s name. Next to the picture gave her characteristics.

Dale watched Rick’s expression as he looked at the flyer he had pulled from the Internet last night. He swallowed the lump in his throat and turned his eyes away, unable to stare at the smiling picture. When he pulled the poster up last night, he stared at the page his heart dropping to his stomach. 

“Jesus,” Rick whispered breaking Dale out of his revive. He gave a sympathetic look to his driver. “She’s not going to go to the press is she?”

Dale shook his head. “I don’t think she’ll go to the press.” He sighed. “Rick I’m mad as hell. She never told me about Ashlyn. This whole time I had a daughter living in Kentucky and I didn’t know. She’s thirteen years old. I missed everything; her first smile, crawling, her first steps, words, first day of school…I wasn’t there for any of it.”

“You have every right to be mad, Dale. No one is going to tell you not to be mad. Lindsay didn’t tell you about Ashlyn and she should have. But Dale, she needs your help. Your daughter needs your help.”

“What am I going to do? I can’t do anything without the media knowing. I don’t want them to know, make matters worse. What if whoever took Ashlyn doesn’t know that I’m her father? But maybe someone found out and that’s the reason all this is happening? A million dollars is steep for a single mother.” Dale stilled as a thought suddenly entered his brain. “What if it’s because of me?”

“Dale, slow down. You can’t start playing the ‘what if’ game, it won’t get you anywhere.” Rick said as ideas ran through his mind. There was only one thing that crossed his mind. “If you, without a doubt, believe that Lindsay is telling the truth and Ashlyn is your daughter, you need to get the money to Lindsay.”

“I can’t do it, I have appearances all weekend. No way I can get out of those without causing suspicion and speculation.”

“Have Kelley do it.” Rick told him. “She has access to your account…”

“My business account, not my personal one.” Dale interrupted. ‘If only he could get away and fly to Kentucky himself,’ he thought. 

“Have her take the money from there, we don’t have time to mess with what account. If I have to, I’ll have Linda go to the bank and withdraw money,” Rick said of his wife. “You think Kelley can take the money to Kentucky?”

Dale nodded. “I’m sure mom will watch the kids for her. Hopefully she won’t ask too many questions.”

“Alright, call your sister, I’ll call Linda.” Rick stood up. “Dale this will work out. We’ll get Ashlyn back safely and you can meet your daughter.”

“Thanks Rick,” Dale said as they walked towards to door.

“Now, take a shower and clean up your mess,” he said as he left the couch.

“Yes sir.”


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

Lindsay sat in her office, pooling over her bank statements and messing with figures on money her house and car would come too. She sat her pencil down and rubbed her face as she felt tears pool in her eyes. No matter how she figured her assets, nothing would come close to the figure she needed.

She sighed when she heard the doorbell ring. Pushing away from the desk, she made her way to the front door. Opening the door, she stared in shock at the person on the other side.

“Hey, I was hoping this was the right place,” Kelley smiled.

“What are you doing here?” Lindsay asked.

“Can we go inside and talk?” Kelley asked looking around seeing the close proximity of the neighbors. She didn’t think she’d be recognized but didn’t want to take the chance.

“Yeah, sure, come in,” she moved out of the way and shut the door after Kelley entered. “Do you want something to drink?”

“Iced tea would be great? That was a long drive.” Kelley followed Lindsay into the kitchen. “How are you holding up?” she asked softly.

“As good as can be, I guess. When I actually fall asleep at night, I wake up thinking I have to get Ashlyn up for school. I’m halfway out of my room before I remember she’s not here.”

“Lindsay…” Kelley sat her glass of iced tea on the counter before drawing the woman into a hug. “It’s okay.”

“No it’s not. My daughter has been kidnapped and no matter how I add numbers it never equals what I need. I’m never going to be able to come up with the ransom by the deadline.”

“Come on,” Kelley picked up her glass and the bag she was carrying and walked into the living room. 

“My mom is going to dip into her retirement,” Lindsay sat down on the couch. “I don’t want her to do that, she’s earned every penny she’s saved.”

“She wants to help her granddaughter,” Kelley sat next to Lindsay, putting the bag on her lap. “Lindsay,” she started. “I’m here for a reason. First, I want to apologize for not believing you yesterday, and for the way Dale acted.”

“You don’t have to apologize, I deserved everything I got. I didn’t expect Dale to be understanding and happy. I knew he’d be pissed off. I would be if I were in his shoes.”

“Still, he didn’t have to call you a slut. I gave him hell after you left. It just came to a shock to both of us, him especially. He gets women telling him they are carrying his child, had his child or telling him they want to have his child.”

“I’m not like the women who hang out at the tracks, hoping to score a driver…”

“I know that and Dale does too. He will apologize for his actions when he calms down.” Kelley slid the bag onto Lindsay’s lap. “He called me yesterday. You turned his world upside down.”

“I know I did. I should have tried harder to tell him. I shouldn’t have settled on writing that letter. I should have mailed all the other letters. I just…”

“You don’t have to explain to me, hon.” Kelley patted her hand, giving it a squeeze. “Open the bag.”

“What is it?” Lindsay asked cautiously.

“Just open it.”

Lindsay looked at Kelley for a few moments before slowly opening the duffle bag. She gasped and closed the bag, her eyes shooting towards the other woman before looking back into the bag. Tears welled in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. 

“How…who…” Lindsay couldn’t form a coherent sentence as she stared down at the stacks of bills that lay in the bag.

“Dale.”

“But…why?” Lindsay couldn’t believe it.

“His daughter needs help.”

“He believes me?”

“Yes, he does,” Kelley nodded. “I do too. That’s why I’m here. Dale can’t get away from Talladega or he would be here himself.”

“I don’t…” Lindsay cried. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything,” Kelley looked up as she heard the door open and a woman walked into the room.

“Momma,” Lindsay stood up.

“Lindsay?” Grace paled. “Oh no, Ashlyn?” 

“No, it’s not Ashlyn,” Lindsay shook her head. “This is Kelley Elledge, Dale’s sister. This is my mother, Grace.”

“Nice to meet you,” Grace said shaking the woman’s hand. She looked at her daughter questioningly. “You said your visit didn’t go well.”

“It didn’t,” Lindsay held out the black bag.

Grace look at her daughter before lowing her eyes to peer inside the bag. She gasped her eyes shooting to look back and forth between the two women. “What…”

“Dale, Momma…” Lindsay cried. “Dale gave me the money for Ashlyn. Can you believe it Momma?” 

“Oh my Lord,” Grace closed her eyes and said a little prayer. “Is he here? I want to thank him in person for saving our little girl.”

“No, Mrs. Pierce, he’s in Talladega this weekend.” Kelley said, wiping the tears that fell down her cheeks.

“It’s Grace,” Grace automatically correcting Kelley. “Lindsay, did you call Alex and tell him about the money?”

“Not yet Momma, I just learned about it myself.”

“I can’t believe it,” Grace shook her head. She had talked with the insurance people this morning about withdrawing from her retirement. There would be a substantial penalty for the early withdrawal, but the only thing that mattered was bringing her granddaughter home. 

“Do you have to go back home?” Lindsay asked.

“No, my mother is watching my kids for the weekend. I’ll get a hotel room in town.”

“Nonsense,” Grace said shaking her head. “You can stay here. You can have the guest room. I’ll go back home.”

“Oh no, I don’t want to put you out,” Kelley shook her head. “You need to stay here.”

“Honey, my house is just down the road. It’s no big deal. You’ll be more comfortable here than in a hotel anyway.” Grace smiled. “It’s settled, I’ll go clean up the room for you.” She said before moving down the hallway.

“My mother’s the same way, can’t tell her no for nothing,” Kelley smiled turning back towards Lindsay.

“She’s wonderful, I don’t know how I would have got through…” she cut off and gave a little blush.

“Your pregnancy?” Kelley offered.

“Yeah.”

“It’s okay; I would have been lost without my mother.”

“How many children do you have?” Lindsay asked, beginning to feel comfortable around Dale’s sister.

“Two girls,” Kelley smiled, thinking of her girls. “Karsyn is eight and Kennedy is two, will be three in a couple weeks.” She grabbed her purse pulling out her billfold. “Here they are,” she showed Lindsay a picture.

“Oh they are adorable,” Lindsay smiled looking at the two girls with cheeky grins and a mop of brown curls. “I can see a little bit of Ashlyn.”

“The Earnhardt genes are strong,” Kelley nodded. “That’s how I knew you weren’t lying. I looked at those pictures and saw my girls.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell Dale, Kelley.” Lindsay whispered. “I should have told him a long time ago. He wouldn’t have missed so much. No amount of pictures and videos will make up for what I kept him from.”

Lindsay started when the phone ring. Standing up she made her way to the kitchen grabbing the cordless. Staring at the private ID, she hesitated before she answered.

“Hello?”

“Hey baby,” Devon smiled into the receiver.

“Devon?” 

“Who did you think it was? You get a lot of calls with men calling you baby?” He asked.

“No, it’s just the ID came up private and your cell phone always comes up with your name and come to think of it, so does your families.”

“Really?” Devon asked. “That’s weird. Maybe my mother changed it. I’ll ask her about it.”

“How’s your grandfather?”

“Not good,” Devon sighed. “He’s getting worse. The doctor is giving him something for pain. I know it’s wrong, but I pray that he’ll go to sleep and not wake up.”

“It’s not wrong sweetie. You just don’t want to see him in pain anymore.” Lindsay sympathized. 

“How are you holding up?”

“I’m okay,” Lindsay said. She opened her mouth to tell him about Kelley and Dale but something held her back. “The deadline is approaching and I don’t have the money. I’m going to the bank on Monday see what I can do. Momma is too.”

“Baby, I’ll help you out. I’m gonna head to the bank too. I got an hour or so before it closes over here. I’ll see what I can come up with. I’ll call you back later okay?”

“Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me,” Devon told her. “I love Ashlyn like my own. I’ll be more than happy to help you out. I love you.”

“I love you too.”


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“Does she know I’m coming?” Dale asked as he threw his bag into Kelley’s car Sunday night. 

“No, I haven’t told her.” Kelley pulled from the airport parking lot heading towards Scottsville. “How are you doing?”

“I still don’t know what to think. I don’t think it’s set in.”

“Understandable. Will take some time to get used too.” Kelley told him. “How much time did Rick give you?”

“It was hard at first, pissed a lot of people off when I canceled appearances this week, especially since its Charlotte. But Rick said as long as I’m there for qualifying, practice and the race, he said to take as much time as I need.” Dale looked out the window at the passing scenery. “Anything new?”

“Nothing. The kidnapper said he’d call back in a week, which is Tuesday. She talked to her cop friend yesterday. From what they were saying, the house will be crawling with cops on Tuesday, waiting for the phone call. 

“So if you don’t want anyone to know about you, I wouldn’t be there on Tuesday.” She said as they pulled into Scottsville city limits.

“I need to be there.” He told her as they pulled into the driveway of a blue sided house with a front porch. A swing hung from the roof on the deck in front of a large window. Opening the door, he unfolded his frame and climbed from the car. “She married?” He asked pointing to the third car that sat in the driveway.

“No, it’s her mother’s,” Kelley said as they walked up the steps to the porch. “She lives in town.”

Dale didn’t say anything as they walked into the house. His stomach growled as the scent of dinner cooking hit his nostrils. He sat his bag down next to the door and shimmied out of his coat, hanging it on the coat rack.

“Dinner will be ready…” Grace walked into the living room and stopped seeing Kelley was not alone. “I didn’t know you were bringing anyone back.”

“Grace this is Dale,” Kelley introduced her brother to Grace. “Dale this is Lindsay’s mom, Grace.”

“Nice to meet you,” Dale extended his hand and was caught by surprise when the older version of Lindsay bypassed his hand to pull him into a tight embrace. 

“I don’t know how I’ll ever thank you enough,” Grace whispered feeling tears fall from her cheeks. 

“You don’t need to,” Dale said, giving her a hug before leaning back. “There wasn’t any other option.”

“But you didn’t have to,” Grace told him giving him another hug. “Thank you.”

“What’s that wonderful smell?” Dale asked, embarrassed by Grace’s reaction.

“Chicken and rice casserole, it’s delicious, if I do say so myself,” Grace winked. “There is plenty enough for you to stay.” She turned towards Kelley. “Does Lindsay know he was coming?”

Kelley shook her head. “No, I didn’t tell her.”

“I didn’t think so,” Grace nodded. “She’s taking a bath, trying to relax. Please come into the kitchen and have a seat.” She led the brother and sister into the kitchen. “What would you like to drink?”

“Milk,” Kelley said as she took a seat next to Dale. “You don’t have to serve us, we can get it ourselves.”

“Nonsense,” Grace said as she poured a glass of milk sitting it in front of Kelley before turning to Dale.

“Iced tea?” Dale requested.

Grace turned around and saw Lindsay standing in the doorway, looking at the table. “Lindsay, just in time,” she smiled sending her daughter a look. “I was just getting ready to pull dinner out of the oven.”

Lindsay walked into the kitchen, unable to take her eyes off Dale. She had no idea how to take seeing him sitting at her kitchen table. She hadn’t expected to see him again. Though she knew she would face him again, especially after giving her the money. 

“Dale,” Lindsay said finally finding her voice. She grabbed the milk from the refrigerator, pouring herself a glass before adding chocolate syrup. Moving back to the table she took her seat across from Dale, using her spoon to stir her milk.

“Lindsay,” Dale nodded watching her movements. “How are you doing?”

Lindsay stilled staring across the table. ‘How was she doing?’ She thought. How did Dale think she was doing? She saw her mother give her head a little shake. He only asked a simple question.

“I’m doing okay,” Lindsay told him. “How did you do this weekend?”

“Not good,” Dale said as they started filling their plates. “Started off bad and just escalated from there. Changed an engine in the first practice and then blew a tire in the second.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“Got caught up in a wreck with fourteen to go and finished twenty-eighth,” Junior shrugged. It was the teams first DNF of the season. The weekend was terrible overall.

Dinner was for the most part silent except for the occasional clanging of silverware against plates and the ding of glasses hitting the table. Lindsay ate slowly, trying to figure out the meaning of Dale’s visit. When the phone rang, she gave a sigh of relief, thankful for the interruption. 

“Honey, it’s Devon,” Grace said as she held the phone out towards her daughter.

“Excuse me,” Lindsay said, rising from the table. She grabbed the phone and left the room.

“Dale how long do you plan on staying?” Grace asked, sitting back at the table.

“At least until the weekend when I have to be back in Charlotte,” Dale told her. His gaze kept wandering towards the doorway for Lindsay to walk back in. ‘Who was Devon?’ He wondered. 

“Do you have a place to stay?”

“Uh…” Dale looked over at his sister before looking back at Grace. “I was, uh, hoping I could stay here.”

Grace pursed her lips. She didn’t know if Lindsay would go for that idea. “Well, your sister has the guest bedroom…”

“I’ll sleep on the couch that’s not a problem,” Dale cut in. He needed to be close to the house. The deadline was fast approaching for the kidnapper to call. He wanted to be here when the call came in.

Grace stood up and started to clear the table. “I’ll talk to Lindsay. If she doesn’t go for it, you can stay at my house. It’s only a couple streets over.”

“Thank you,” Dale stood up and started helping.

“Go relax in the living room. I’m sure you’ve had a long day.” Grace took the plates from him. “Don’t worry about it. Go.” She said when he started to refuse.

“Told you she was like Mom,” Kelley said as she took her plates to the sink.

“You too missy,” Grace told her. “I got this.”

“You think Lindsay will let you stay here?” Kelley asked as they sat in the living room.

Dale sighed, “I don’t know. I hope she does. I need to be here waiting for the call. I won’t let her shut me out. I deserve to be here just as much as Lindsay does.”

“I know you do, June,” Kelley told her brother. 

Lindsay walked into the kitchen. She grabbed her plate from the table to dump the contents into the trash.

“Honey, you need to eat,” Grace frowned watching her daughter’s antics.

“I’m not hungry anymore Momma,” she told her as she boxed up the leftovers into the Tupperware.

“How is Devon?” 

“He’s okay, his grandfather is still hanging on,” Lindsay put the containers of food into the fridge, bringing the pan to the sink, letting it soak in the hot water. She put her hands on the counter and leaned against them, looking out the kitchen window. “I didn’t tell him about Dale.”

“You said he was going to put up money, you think you should tell him that he doesn’t need to anymore?”

“No, I told him that Ashlyn’s father was here, but not who he was. I should have just came out and told him, but I couldn’t. Why can’t I tell anyone about Dale?” 

“You’re trying to protect your daughter.”

“Some protection I’ve given. She’s been kidnapped.”

“Baby, that’s not your fault. You’ve done nothing wrong. You’re trying to protect your daughter because once the world finds out that Dale has a child, it’s going to be a circus around here.”

“Then maybe no one should know about her. I don’t want Ashlyn being questioned by reporters or having people hounding her. I don’t want to be put through the ringer because of my decision.”

“You’re expecting Dale to disappear back in the wood work. Maybe just send a check every month?” Grace stared at her daughter. “Lindsay, you know he won’t do that. He finally knows about her, you can’t expect him to walk away now.”

“I don’t know Momma, I just don’t know.”


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Lindsay allowed Dale to sleep on her couch and hang around the following day, but she did her best to steer clear of him. She still hadn’t thought about what she wanted to say to him. She was shocked that he had actually given her the money and then showed up at her house. Her mother kept him company while she hid in her room.

She lay in bed that night. Dinner had been over for hours and she should have been sleeping. But she couldn’t. Tomorrow was the deadline for the money. Even though she had the ransom, she didn’t trust the kidnapper to just hand her daughter over safe and sound. She was worried that she would be hurt.

Throwing the covers back, she slid her legs around and stepped on the floor. Walking from the door she slowly made her way down the hall and into the kitchen. Turning on the light above the sink, she illuminated the room with a soft glow. She grabbed a glass from the cupboard and poured herself a glass of iced tea.

Sipping her drink she stared out the window. She heard the chime from the clock in the living room and closed her eyes. It was now Tuesday – deadline day. The call could come any time now. The police didn’t expect it until tomorrow afternoon, but they were having a team here at seven in the morning. 

She jumped when a hand touched her shoulder. “Damn,” she said when the glass fell from her hand and smashed on the floor, spilling iced tea and glass shards on the floor and her bare feet. 

“Sorry,” Dale said as he reached for the roll of paper towels on the counter.

“It’s okay, I’m usually not that jumpy,” Lindsay knelt down and picked up the bigger pieces of the broken glass. “The broom is in the laundry room,” she grabbed paper towels, soaking up the iced tea as Dale went to grab the broom and dust pan. She winced, feeling a prick on her hand. Looking down she saw the tiny glass shard sticking out of her finger. “Damn…”

“Let me see,” Dale said walking back into the room. He leaned the broom against the counter and knelt in front of Lindsay, careful of the tiny glass fragments on the floor. He took her hand in his.

“Its fine,” Lindsay murmured, trying to pull her hand away.

“I hardly call glass sticking out of your hand fine, hold still,” he told her as he turned her hand palm up in his own. He carefully gripped the glass and pulled it from her finger. 

“Thank you,” she said softly, keeping her eyes lowered on their hands. His touch was as familiar as it was in Colorado. The close proximity of their bodies heightened her senses and her mind wandered back to that winter so long ago. The way his hands felt running over her body.

She wondered if he still tasted the same; if her body would mold against his as if they were made for each other. She wondered if she would still respond to him as she once did. She had yet to find a man to make her body react the way Dale’s had.

”Is everything okay in here?” Kelley stood in the doorway. She raised her eyebrow staring at her brother and down to their joined hands.

“Yeah,” Lindsay quickly dropped Dale’s hand and rose. “I just dropped my glass. Did we wake you?”

“Don’t move,” Dale quickly put a hand on her arm. “You’ll step in glass.”

“Here,” Kelley said handing the broom to her brother careful of where she stepped. “If everything is okay, I’m going back to bed. Night,” she gave the two adults a final look before walking from the room.

“I think that’s everything,” he said when he swept the glass into the dust pan, dumping it in the trash. “Just be careful,” he gathered up the broom and put it back in the laundry room. When he returned, Lindsay was pouring herself another glass.

“Want one?” She asked, handing hers off when he nodded. She grabbed a second glass from the cupboard. She leaned against the counter, sipping her drink. She had wanted to avoid a confrontation but now there was no way to around it. 

“Tell me about her,” Dale asked.

The question caught Lindsay off guard and her eyes rose to his.

“I can’t sleep and since you’re here in the middle of the night, I’m betting you can’t either. I’ve let you hide in your room since I’ve got here. I have questions and I want answers. I deserve answers, Linds.” The nickname slid off his tongue easily.

“Alright,” Lindsay nodded before pushing off the counter, walking into the living room. Laying the blanket Dale had been using over the back of the couch she sat down. She stared at the blank television as Dale sat down with her. “What do you want to know?”

“Everything,” Dale breathed. 

“Okay,” she pursed her lips and took a breath. “I uh found out I was pregnant the first week in January.”

“You have morning sickness?” He asked. The letters had dipped into the pregnancy, but he wanted to hear it; wanted to hear every detail about his daughter from Lindsay’s mouth. 

“I did, but it wasn’t bad. Only in the mornings and only when I was brushing my teeth. It went away in the second trimester. I ate like a horse though. I didn’t have any weird cravings. If I smelled it though, I had to have it.

“I felt her move around four months,” she smiled remembering the butterfly like movements in her stomach and subconsciously put her hand over it. “It was something like I’ve never felt before. It all seemed real then, there was an actual baby growing inside of me.”

Dale listened to Lindsay talk about the pregnancy and felt a sense of longing. He felt both his nieces kick and move while his sister was pregnant, but he knew it was a different experience to feel your own. He looked at her, imaging her with child; standing barefoot, her arms cradling her stomach; him walking up behind her, encircling them both with his arms.

“She was stubborn,” she gave a small chuckle. “I was forty-two weeks pregnant when I finally delivered. She did not want to come on her own. I had to be induced, which meant I was in the hospital the whole time I was in labor. Labor started around seven and by eleven I had an epidural. At four thirty, I started pushing and at five o’ two, Ashlyn was born.”

“She didn’t waste anytime coming.”

Lindsay smiled. “No, once we got her butt in gear, she came pretty fast. I just pushed and listen to my mother. I just knew it would be over soon and I’d be able to hold my baby. I was so scared when they handed her to me. She was so tiny…seven pounds ten ounces, twenty inches long. She was crying, but stopped when I shushed her and ran my finger down her cheek. She opened her eyes and I cried.” She bit her lip and tried to keep her tears at bay. 

She stood up and walked towards the stand that housed the DVD movies. Kneeling over, she grabbed a VHS tape from the bottom shelf and moved back to the television. Bracing against the television, she started pushing on it to turn it so she could reach the back.

“What are you doing?” Dale asked, moving to help her.

“I need to unplug the cable box and DVD player and hook up the VHS,” she explained. “I need to put my home movies on DVDs but I haven’t had the time or the money to go out and buy a converter.” 

With Dale’s help, she was able to make the change and she slid the tape into the player. Grabbing the remote she moved back to the couch and pressed play. Dale watched with interest as the tape started staring at a door. The door was pushed out of the way and a hospital room came into view.

“Say hi to the camera!” the voice behind the camera panned into the room, settling on the figure sitting in the hospital bed. 

Dale held his breath as he realized it was Lindsay sitting the bed with a bundle cradled against her – his daughter.

“Momma,” Lindsay groaned. “Can you put the camera away? I look awful.”

“Honey, you look beautiful,” Grace moved towards the bed. “You’re gonna thank me one of these days for this tape.”

“Thank you Momma,” Lindsay whispered as she watched the awe cross Dale’s features.

“Is Ashlyn ready to make her movie debut?” 

“Of course she is,” Lindsay looked down at the baby swaddled in a soft pink blanket in her arms. “She’s so beautiful Momma.”

Dale’s eyes fixated on the television screen as his daughter’s face came into view. Her blue eyes open staring into the camera, her tiny head covered in a pink hat. His breath caught and he fought to hold back the tears as Ashlyn opened her mouth and gave a tiny yawn.

“She is gorgeous,” Grace told Lindsay. “She’s perfect.”

“Ten toes and fingers,” Lindsay stated proudly. “I’ve counted them a million times.”

“She’s gonna have men knocking down her door if her eyes stay that blue,” Grace’s reached out with a handle to lie on Ashlyn’s stomach. “They might change though.”

“No they won’t,” Lindsay whispered knowingly, staring down at her daughter, whose eyes had drifted close. “I love you baby girl.”


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Lindsay awoke to the ringing doorbell. Opening her eyes she blinked a few times, rubbing the sleep out of the corners. Looking around she realized she had fallen asleep in the living room. Throwing the blanket off her body she jumped hearing a groan. Looking at the opposite end of the couch, she saw Dale covered by the blanket she had just thrown.

“What time is it?” He asked groggily, sitting up giving a yawn, the blanket falling to the floor.

“A little after seven,” she stood up running her fingers through her hair as she made her way to the front door. She noticed Kelley walking down the hall. Opening the door, she saw Alex on the other side.

“Alex,” she breathed and her brain rushed back to why he was standing on her doorstep at seven in the morning. This was the day the kidnapper was supposed to call back. This was when Ashlyn was going to be coming home.

“How are you?” Alex asked as he stepped in the house, giving Lindsay a small hug. He pulled back noticing Dale standing in the living room. “Are you okay?” he looked from Lindsay to Dale.

“I just want this to be over with,” Lindsay whispered, stepping back. 

“I know,” Alex nodded. “It will be soon. When he calls, and we get the drop off point, we’ll be there and catch him. Ashlyn will be sleeping in her bed tonight.”

“I hope so,” Lindsay walked into the living room. “Alex this is Dale and his sister Kelley. Dale, Kelley this is Alex Barnes. He’s on the police department here.”

Dale eyed the officer as the introductions were made. He shook the hand that was offered. This was the cop friend that Kelley had told him about. He knew that he was Ashlyn’s father. Lindsay had trusted him enough to tell him. He wondered why. What was the story between the two?

“Nice to meet you,” Alex said, eying Dale up and down. He was a racing fan and knew the drivers and sponsors, but he didn’t watch religiously. Seeing the popular driver standing in Lindsay’s living room, didn’t bode well to settle his stomach. 

“What’s going to happen today, Alex?” Lindsay asked quietly, unaware of the silent dick measuring contest. 

“The rest of the team is on their way,” he stated as a car door slammed outside. “That should be them. We are going to set up a tap on the phone and wait until he calls back. I wish we could do more, but right now, it’s a waiting game.”

“Right,” Lindsay sighed. She didn’t know how much longer she could wait. It had already been a week.

“Well get her back Linds,” Alex said quietly, reaching out to give her hand a squeeze. “I promise.” 

Dale gritted his teeth, watching the scene in front of him. He felt his stomach start to boil and crossed his arms. He wanted to cross the room and rip the cop’s hand off Lindsay. He was unaware of the question until Kelley nudged him. 

“What?”

“Are you going to be here?” Alex asked him.

“Yes,” Dale bit out, straightening his stance. ‘Just let this pansy cop, try to keep me from being here,’ he thought. 

Alex nodded. He had guessed as much. “Then,” he turned back to Lindsay. “Everyone is going to know why he’s here. Are you okay with that?”

“Yeah, he can stay.”

Dale’s blood boiled. ‘He can stay!’ His eyes narrowed. How nice of Lindsay to give him permission for him to be here while they tried to get his daughter – the daughter she kept from him. It was his money that allowed that even allowed her this opportunity.

“Dale,” Kelley said quietly as the rest of the team came through the door. “Go take a shower.” She told him calmly. “Lindsay’s gonna need your support when the call comes in.”

“Why? She’s got her officer lover.” Dale muttered, stalking down the hallway before Kelley could say anything.

**  
Ashlyn shivered pulling her blanket tighter around her body. She sat in the corner of her bed against the wall watching the door, waiting for her captor to return. He wasn’t there everyday she could tell by the silence that rang throughout the house. He would bring her food when he would show and wished he would bring her a nice piece of steak with a baked potato. 

Her mouth watered thinking about food. She was tired of eating Hostess blueberry muffins and drinking water. She wanted a nice cold iced tea to go with her steak, with lots of sugar. Or maybe she wanted a cup of hot tea. Hot tea would warm her up. 

She had already planned when she got home to take a long shower. She hadn’t showered since the morning she left her house and felt dirty. She’d shower until the hot water ran cold and probably then some. She’d do anything to get rid of the dirty feeling she had. 

She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall, wandering what her mother was doing right now. If she was at work, picking up all the hours she could to raise the ransom the kidnapper demanded. She figured her mother was going crazy with worry. All she wanted to do was hug her mother…after her shower of course. 

Ashlyn jumped when she heard footsteps sliding across the floor outside her door and she sat up straight. She watched the door knob turn and when her kidnapper stepped through, she held her breath. 

She watched him walk into the room, looking at her through the black ski mask he wore over his head. He held his gun in one hand and a device that made his voice weird in the other. She saw him give her a smile and she shivered.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” the man said after he raised his hand, distorting his voice. “At least if your mother comes through.”

“She’s gonna get the money,” Ashlyn said. “You won’t be able to enjoy it, because you’ll be in jail.” 

The kidnapper laughed, “I’ll be able to enjoy it. I’m planning a nice vacation with it.”

“Why don’t you kidnap a rich kid, why me! Momma’s not rich.”

“I know your momma’s not rich,” the kidnapper told her.

“Then why me! She won’t be able to get that kind of money.”

“She won’t by herself, she’ll ask for help.”

“No one will give anyone a million dollars! You’re nuts!”

“Ah, you’ll see my dear Ashlyn, you’ll see. I’ll get my money and be vacationing in Mexico with sweet senoritas.”

“Yeah right,” Ashlyn muttered, glaring at her kidnapper. “I hope you enjoy prison life.”

“You got a mouth on you, no wonder your father didn’t stick around,” the kidnapper told her.

“I don’t know my father, jerk.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t have been mouthy and he would still be here.”

“Shut up, you don’t know nothing about my father…”

“I know more than you do,” the kidnapper taunted. “I know his name and who he is.”

Ashlyn didn’t say anything, as she stared at the man. He knew her father? He knew his name? She wondered who her father was, but every time she brought it up to her mother, she would get upset and wouldn’t talk about it. She had tried asking her grandma, but she didn’t get anywhere.

“Ah, cat got your tongue?” The kidnapper laughed. “Enough of this chit-chat – we got work to do. For your sake, your mother better have came through with the money.” 

He pulled the phone from his pocket and dialed Lindsay’s number.

“Lindsay, my dear how are you?”

“Where’s Ashlyn!” Lindsay clutched the phone to her, barely noticing Dale take a step closer to her. 

“She’s right here; she’s got a little bit of mouth on her.”

“Just give her back to me,” Lindsay held her breath. If she was talking, that meant she was okay. ‘Just don’t make him mad, Ash,’ she prayed. 

“Ah, straight to business, that’s what I like to hear,” he laughed. “Do you have the money?”

“Yes I have the money.”

“Good, I knew you would come through,” he said beginning to imagine the sun and women on the Mexico island. “Bring the money to Browning’s warehouse, to the loading dock. There will be a car waiting there. No cops, you bring one cop the deal is off and Ashlyn is dead. Got it?”

“Ye…yeah,” Lindsay listened. 

“Good, you and your boyfriend have an hour. Once the money has been handed off you’ll find out where Ashlyn is.”

“My boyfriend,” Lindsay asked confused. “He’s not here, he’s in Texas. He won’t be here in time—”

“Not that one…” he cut her off.

“What are you talking about?”

“Your racer boyfriend,” he waited a few minutes to let it sink in. “Bring your racer boyfriend with you.”


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

“Absolutely not,” Alex shook his head, pacing the living room floor. “You are not delivering the money with no protection.”

“It’s what he wants Alex,” Lindsay told him.

“You are not going Dale,” Kelley spoke up. “This is not safe.”

“This is my daughter we are talking about. I’m going and no one is going to talk me out of it.” Dale told his sister. “What is this warehouse?”

“It’s a rundown warehouse on the other side of town; it’s been empty for years.”

“Most action is gets these days are kids trespassing,” Alex said. He had to act fast. The kidnapper gave them two hours. He had an hour to figure out how to get cops to the warehouse without being seen. Having Dale in the car proved to be a great risk and if something went wrong, it meant disaster for the town and the police department. 

“Dale, you shouldn’t go…” Alex stated. “If something goes wrong—“

“I’ll take that chance,” Dale cut him off. “Ashlyn is my daughter and it’s my job to keep her safe.” He glanced over at his sister and he sighed. “Kel…“

“You can’t do this,” Kelley whispered. “You don’t know what’s going to happen. So many things can go wrong.”

“I have to go,” Dale gripped his sister’s upper arms. “He’s going to know if I’m not in the car. I’m not going to be the reason Ashlyn is hurt. You understand don’t you?”

Kelley nodded. “I just don’t have a good feeling. These things never go right.”

“This one will. We’ll get Ashlyn back here safely and we can get to know her.” Dale stated firmly. “Then we’ll let Mom know she has another granddaughter.”

“What about the money…”

“I don’t care about the money. The only thing I care about is getting Ashlyn back safe from harm.”

”Well shit…” Alex sighed. “Alright people, we have an hour, let’s move it.”

Forty minutes later, the black bag had a GPS tracker stuffed inside the lining, both Lindsay and Dale had thrown on bullet proof vests underneath their clothes. Back up had been placed in both directions from the warehouse and a couple uniforms were thrown on the street in plain clothes.

“Ready?” Alex asked, looking from Dale to Lindsay. 

“Ready,” Dale said.

Lindsay nodded. “Yeah, just catch the bastard.”

“We will,” Alex said firmly. “Don’t pull any heroic moves. Give him the money, find out where Ashlyn is. Leave catching him to us. We have the place surrounded. He won’t get away.”

Dale nodded. He couldn’t promise not to try and save his daughter. If he had the opportunity he was going to take it. He looked down at Lindsay and saw a tear escape, rolling down her cheek. He had two lives in his hands – his daughter’s and the mother of his child. He had to make sure both were safe before he tried anything. He was not going to be the reason either one of them were hurt. 

“Alright – let’s move out,” Alex called to the remaining officers in the house. “Jackson, get to your spot.” He told the deputy. 

“Be careful, baby,” Grace moved forward, pulling Lindsay into a hug. “I love you,” she added softly. She was scared. Ransom drop offs never went the way they were supposed to. Someone always ended up getting hurt or worse. 

“I will, Momma,” Lindsay mustered a small smile before moving towards the door. 

“Dale—“

“Don’t,” Dale gave his sister a tight hug. “I’ll be fine.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek before walking out of the house to Lindsay’s car. “I’m driving…it’s my thing.”

“Fine,” Lindsay said walking passed him to the passenger side door.

“Hey,” Dale grabbed her arm, stopping her movements. “This is going to work out. We’ll bring Ashlyn home. I promise.”

Lindsay stared into his eyes; an array of emotions clouded his blue orbs. Though selfless courage shone through the strongest, she thought she detected a hint of the fear and uncertainty that she was sure reflected back to him from her own eyes. She bit her lip, “we need to go.” 

Dale climbed into the driver seat and started the car. Pulling from the driveway he followed Lindsay’s directions to the warehouse with two cop cars tailing him. When they pulled onto the Baker Street where the warehouse was located, the cops pulled off, allowing the car to go ahead. They were on their own.

He sat up straight in his seat, clutching the steering wheel. So many things could go wrong within the next moments. His heart raced a mile a minute as he pulled behind the warehouse. Ahead he saw a black Pontiac parked next to the loading dock.

“Recognize it?” Dale asked as he slowed down.

“No,” Lindsay shook her head, her eyes moving across the parking lot and building, searching for a sign of Ashlyn or a psycho. “I’m beginning to think this is a bad idea…we don’t know what we are doing.”

“What?” Dale glanced at his passenger. “We’re getting our daughter back. Once he has the money, we’ll find out where Ashlyn is.”

“But what if he shoots us? What if Ashlyn is already dead? What if he never plans on giving her back?”

“Hey,” Dale stopped the car, turning to look at Lindsay, while his eyes flickered to the car in front of him. “Do not think like that. You can’t be scared or nervous. We have to do this. Ashlyn is counting on us.”

Lindsay started when her cell phone rang. 

“I want both of you to get out of the vehicle and walk towards the car in front of you. Racer boy carries the bag. Leave your phones in the car.” 

“He says to get out of the car and you carry the bag,” Lindsay relayed the message reaching to unbuckle her seat belt.

“Trust me,” Dale whispered reaching to squeeze her hand before climbing from the car. He stood next to Lindsay as they slowly walked to the car. They both held their breaths as the car door opened and a man stepped out, a mask over his head.

“That’s far enough!” He yelled and held up a gun. “Throw me the bag!”

“Where’s Ashlyn?” Dale yelled.

“Give me the bag.”

“Tell us where Ashlyn is?” 

“I get the bag first, then you get your daughter,” the man yelled. He raised his gun in the air. “You aren’t in any position to barter. Now give me the money.” 

“Dale, give it to him,” Lindsay whispered, watching the man in front of her, trying to figure out who he was. 

Dale took the strap off his shoulder. He held it in his hands before thrusting it across the space. The man reached out and caught it.

The man grinned as he opened the zipper and saw the cash staring up at him. Zipping it back up, he threw the bag in the car and moved to get in.

“Where’s Ashlyn!” Lindsay panicked seeing the man climb back into the car. “Where’s my daughter, you bastard!” 

“Almost forgot,” the man climbed out and opened the back seat door. He reached in. “No funny business,” he glared at Ashlyn, pointing the gun at her. He hoisted her from the car, his hand gripping one of the forearms of her cuffed hands. 

“Ashlyn…” Lindsay started forward.

“Nuh uh uh…”the man shook his head, pointing the gun at Lindsay, stopping her in her tracks. “Do not come any closer.”

“Give her to us…” Dale clenched his jaw, taking in the scared girl the bastard held in his hands. 

“You see him, Ashlyn?” The man asked her, tightening his hold on the girl. “That is your father; your no good, worthless father, who doesn’t give a crap about you.”

Ashlyn stared at the man standing next to her mother. She gasped behind the gag in her mouth recognizing him immediately. ‘Dale Earnhardt Junior is my father?’ She thought. She shook her head. That wasn’t possible.

“You don’t believe me?” The man asked. “Why don’t you ask your mother? Lindsay? Isn’t it true?”

“Yes it’s true,” Lindsay nodded tears rolling down her cheeks. Her fingers twitched, itching to grab her daughter and get her away from the maniac. “Please let her go,” she pleaded.

“Let her go,” Dale took a step forward. “You have your money, now let her go.”

“What did I say about moving?” The man gripped Ashlyn harder, causing her to cry out holding the gun to her head. “Do not move any closer!”

“No…” Lindsay yelled. “Please let her go. We did as you asked. There are no cops here, you have your money. Please let her go…”

“You know, I don’t think a million is nearly enough…” the man paused, pretending to think. “Definitely not enough. So I think I want another million…”

“That’s not part of the deal,” Lindsay cried out. “Please just give her back to me.”

“I’m changing the deal. I’m allowed to do that. I have the gun and your precious daughter. So I’m adding another million. I’ll be in touch.” He shoved Ashlyn in the front seat. He pointed the gun back towards Dale and Lindsay and fired.

“Down!” Dale yelled pushing Lindsay down to the ground, covering her with his body as shots rang out. He heard a car door slam shut and squealing tires. He looked up to see the black Pontiac speeding across the parking lot.

He sat up looking down at Lindsay. “Are you okay?” He asked, running his hands over her arms and back, checking for injuries. “Linds?”

Lindsay pushed herself off the cement and looked over to where the car was parked before looking back at Dale. “He didn’t give her back…” she whispered. “We gave him the money, followed all his instructions and he still didn’t give her back.”

“The cops will stop him, Lindsay,” Dale said firmly. “He won’t get away.”

“He still has her,” Lindsay cried and fell into Dale’s arms. “He still has my baby,” she clutched his shirt.

Dale wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his lap. “We’ll get her back. Shhh…” he whispered. “I’ll do everything in my power to get her back, Linds.” He continued to whispered to her as a squad car came up to them. And as a policeman climbed from his car one thought ran through his mind. He’d broken his promise. He told her they’d bring her home and they didn’t.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

“Are you okay?” Deputy Jackson ran up to the couple on the ground. He was stationed on the corner of the warehouse and came running when the shots fell silent. He heard sirens in the distance and only hoped they were chasing the car and would apprehend the kidnapper.

“Why didn’t he give her back?” Lindsay whispered glancing up from Dale’s arms. “We did everything he asked. Why didn’t he let her go?”

Jackson shook his head. He didn’t have an answer for the mother. In the back of his mind he knew something might happen, that the drop off wouldn’t go according to plan. It was a risk they took with kidnappers.

“They are going to stop him right?” Dale spoke up as he continued rubbing his hands up and down Lindsay’s back. “Cops were set up all over the place there is no way he can out run them.”

“They are currently pursuing him,” Jackson told him. “I’m gonna accompany you back to the house.”

“You should be out there helping,” Dale stood up slowly, keeping Lindsay in his grasp. She had stopped crying and now all that could be heard was sniffling.

“My orders are to stay with you,” Jackson told him, glancing down at Lindsay. “Are you okay, ma’am?”

Lindsay looked up at the deputy who couldn’t have been more than twenty. “Okay? Am I okay?”

“Lindsay,” Dale started.

“No,” she shook off his embrace. “What kind of question is that? My daughter is still in the hands of a maniac! He now has a million dollars and my daughter. How do you think I am?”

“Ma’am—”

“Where were you when we needed you? Where were you when we were getting shot at, while he was taking my daughter?” Lindsay glared at the deputy. “Why didn’t you shoot back?”

“Come on Linds,” Dale took her forearm urging her towards the car where they would go back to the house with the bad news and wait. 

“You promised me!” Lindsay whirled around facing Dale, her green eyes meeting his blue ones. “You told me that we’d get her back. You promised!” She wailed, beating her fists on his chest. “I trusted you! You were supposed to come through, you weren’t supposed to let me down,” she cried, with each word the pounding diminished and she was haphazardly hitting him. 

“I’m sorry, Linds,” Dale whispered, taking her blows before pulling her to him. “I’m so sorry…” he held her tight against him, kissing the top of her head. He started walking them towards the car. Tossing the keys to Jackson, he opened the backseat door. When he had Lindsay settled in the car, he hurried around the rear of the car before climbing in next to her.

The ride back to Lindsay’s house was silent except for the occasional radio chatter from Jackson’s radio. Dale kept his ear open catching description of the car the kidnapper was driving and locations. He wanted to kick both Lindsay and the cop out at the house and take off in the car to catch the bastard himself. He would drive up behind the Pontiac; give him a little tap in the rear, maybe a little wave and a smile when he looked in his rearview mirror. He could see the look of panic across his face when he would realize who was behind him.

The braking of the car brought him out of reverie. Looking up he saw they were back at Lindsay’s house. Lindsay’s head had fallen to rest on his shoulder and her hand held his in a death grip. Giving her a small nudge, he felt an immediate loss when she raised her head.

Lindsay opened the door and slowly climbed from the car. How could it be possible that she didn’t have Ashlyn? After everything she went through; driving to North Carolina, telling Dale about his daughter, him coming through with the money, spending the last three days in the house with the man she had never forgotten, she had nothing to show for it.

She was vaguely aware of Dale coming up behind her, softly taking her upper arm, leading her towards the house. She knew she should apologize for her outburst. It wasn’t his fault this happened. They should have come up with a second plan in case something like this happened. 

Seeing the door open and her mother appear in the doorway erased all her thoughts when she saw the look of anguish on her face. She ran up the steps and into her mother’s arms.

“He took her Momma,” she cried. “He didn’t give her back. She was so scared.”

“Shh…” Grace whispered, her own tears rolling down her cheeks. She had been restless the moment her and Dale pulled from the drive. She paced the entire time, when the two remaining cops rushed out she knew something had come wrong. When she saw the car pull into the driveway, she still had hope that Ashlyn would pop out and come running to her. Seeing Lindsay get out alone her heart broke into pieces.

“What happened?” Kelley asked rushing to her brother, enveloping him in a hug. She was surprised when he held onto her. A lump rose in her throat when she heard him draw a shaky breath.

“He reneged,” a tear slid down Dale’s cheek. “I gave him the money. Damnit, why did I give him the money? I should have gotten for Ashlyn first.”

“Dale, it’s not your fault,” Kelley said quietly when Dale pulled away. She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. “You couldn’t have known it would happen.”

“I should have known they would try to pull something. He wants another million,” Dale scoffed. 

“We’ll get the money.”

“It’s not the money,” Dale strode away from his sister, who followed him closely. “What happens when we do this again next week? He gonna take the money and then want another million? Is his aim gonna be better and actually hit us?” He stopped at Kelley’s gasp.

“He shot at you?” Kelley paled, her eyes immediately roaming his body.

“I’m fine,” Dale sighed. “He didn’t hit us, I don’t think he meant to. We were out in the open. He started shooting; I pushed Lindsay to the ground and covered her. He drove away with Ashlyn in the car.” He went inside the house, his eyes searching for Lindsay finding her in the living room. “She was so scared, God she was terrified.”

Kelley listened to her brother, not sure if he was talking about Lindsay or Ashlyn, but she assumed it would have fit either one. She had sat here, listening to Grace tell her a stories about Ashlyn. She had her fingers crossed and she prayed every five minutes, pleaded for the drop to go off unhitched. The cops would capture the kidnapper and Ashlyn would be safe with her parents and she would finally be able to meet her niece. 

“I let them down, Kel,” Dale watched Lindsay stare at a picture of Ashlyn on the entertainment center. “I didn’t protect them.”

**  
He squealed his tires backing from the warehouse. Flipping the car around he nailed the gas and the car jumped forward, sending Ashlyn into the dashboard. He ignored her cry of pain and quickly wheeled the car from the parking lot to the road. He had to get out of town fast.

Checking his rearview mirror a small smirk started across his lips. Clear. No one was following him. He was going to get away with this. His heart was beating a mile a minute, pounding in his chest so hard he was afraid it would burst through his ribs. He chuckled as he remembered the look of Lindsay’s face when she realized she wasn’t getting her daughter back.

“What’s another million out of daddy’s pocket,” he laughed, looking across the counsel to Ashlyn, huddled awkward in passenger seat. “You were surprised no? Didn’t expect that to happen, huh?”

Ashlyn said nothing as she watched him drive the car, his eyes spending more time glancing in the mirror than out the windshield. She looked down at the floorboard, seeing the black duffle bag filled with money. She knew it had to be real; he could probably have spotted fake money. 

She thought back to the look on her mother’s face when he pulled her from the car. Relief had flooded her face when she realized that she wasn’t hurt. Her attention had turned to the man standing next to her mom, recognition had set it.

Dale Earnhardt Junior. How was that even possible? There had to be some kind of lie, a mix up. 

‘Then explain why he was here?’ The question floated through her mind. She couldn’t explain the driver’s presence. 

“Your mommy’s got a lot of explaining to do, doesn’t she,” he looked over at her, grinning. “Now you see why a million was nothing. Your mom played into it just like I knew she would. She ran to North Carolina and begged for the money. I can make a lot of money off of you.”

Ashlyn shook her head. How long was he planning on keeping her? Was he going to pull the same stunt again with the next ransom? ‘The cops will be smarter than that,’ she told herself. No way would they fall for the same trick twice. They would be waiting the next time. 

“Shit,” he muttered glancing into his mirror seeing a cop car getting bigger. He pressed on the gas, urging the car to go faster. There was no way he was going to get caught.

Her heart jumped into her chest and she glanced at the speedometer, closing in on triple digits. She heard the sirens getting louder and glanced at the gun lying on his knee. She wouldn’t put it past him to shot her before the cops got him. 

“Damnit,” he saw more cops join behind him. The gas pedal was too the floor, his car wouldn’t go any faster. “Fuck,” he yelled, pounding the steering wheel. Why did he have to be greedy? He should have tossed the kid to the pavement and taken off with the money. A million dollars was plenty for him to live on in Mexico. 

He maneuvered the car around the other vehicles on the road, their horns blaring at him. He didn’t have time to flip them the finger. He paled when he saw the road sign ahead. 

Tennessee State Line – 5 miles

Fuck. He couldn’t cross state lines. If he crossed state lines he was liable to have federal charges brought against him. Damnit, this was all going south. Why did he have to get cocky? Another million, what the hell would he do with the extra million?

Glancing in his mirror, he saw the police cars getting closer. He didn’t know what they would do. They were probably praying that he would stop, make their jobs easier. No way, there was no way he could stop. His life would be over. 

He let off the gas, slowing the car down. He noticed the officer in the first car sit up, trying to anticipate his next move. Moving quickly he reached across the seat, barely noticing Ashlyn recoil from him. He opened the door, swerving the car in the process.

“Get out!” he yelled pointing to the door.

Ashlyn’s eyes widened and she stared at him. He expected her to jump from the moving car? She glanced down at the speedometer, it had fallen from triple digits, but it was still going pretty damn fast. 

“Get out!” He picked up the gun, pointing to towards her. He needed to get her out of the car and quick. The state line was rapidly approaching. “Damnit move! I will shoot you!” He slowed the car down a little more, not wanting to risk going any slower. He saw the car behind him, pull around him and ride beside him. He broke out into a sweat. 

Ashlyn fumbled with the door behind her back. She didn’t want to jump, but she didn’t want to get shot either. With her hands tied behind her back there was nothing to break her fall.

“Jesus Christ,” he bellowed yanking her to him. He grabbed the rope that held her hands together and pulled the knot, releasing the tie. “Get out,” he screamed and pushed her against the open car door.

Ashlyn screamed into the gag, her arms flailing trying to grab hold of something, anything to keep her from falling from the moving vehicle. Her legs hit the pavement and she felt herself being pulled from the car. Looking up at the man, he held the gun to her.

“Let go,” he said calmly, his finger twitching on the trigger.

Looking at the gun then to his face, she knew he would shoot her. She felt her grip starting to loosen, the pavement ripping her jeans, digging into her flesh. She held her breath and started to count. It was going to hurt, she knew that. She looked at the floorboard and back to the man again her decision made. She let go of the metal bracket from underneath the passenger seat and grabbed the duffle bag, her fingers slipping from her hold on the door handle.

“No,” he yelled seeing her grab the bag. She couldn’t take the money. He needed that. He gripped the gun, firing a shot off as Ashlyn fell from the car.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

“What is he doing?” Alex mumbled as he slowed his car down. He swung his car towards the shoulder so he could see the suspects and saw the passenger car door open. “Passenger side door is opening, back off.” He radioed into the mic on his shoulder. He slowed the line of police cars behind him down allowing the two cruisers in front of him to stay with the Pontiac.

The next seconds happened in slow motion as Ashlyn’s feet fell out of the car door and began dragging on the ground, before she dropped from the car. Her body smacked the pavement tumbling into the shoulder before coming to rest in a heap.

Alex gasped in horror as he slammed on his brakes, barely noticed the squeal of tires as the cars behind him reacted. “Oh fuck…shit…Ashlyn…no…” he reached down, fumbling with his seat belt. “Damnit,” he grunted in frustration when his fingers failed to work the button. 

When he unbuckled himself, he threw open his car door, breaking into a run towards Ashlyn’s body. He fell to his knees beside her, his heart wrenching when he saw the blood beneath her. He reached for her carotid artery, searching for a pulse.

“We need an ambulance on highway 31 south,” Deputy Foster’s face crackled on the radio. “At the state limit sign. Victim thrown from a car…”

“Damnit,” Alex said as he failed to find a pulse. “Help me,” he called out as other deputies and police officers came up to him. “We need to start CPR…” him and another officer carefully rolled Ashlyn over onto her back. He gasped finding the bullet wound in her shoulder. “Son of a bitch,” he growled out, placing his hand over the wound, applying pressure.

“Weston, come here and apply pressure!” He yelled at one of the fellow cops. Once the man was in place, they started CPR.

“Unresponsive, starting CPR, gunshot wound to shoulder,” Foster called into his radio. “ETA is 15 minutes…life flight,” He stated as they started CPR on Ashlyn. 

“Come on breath,” Alex said as he puffed two breaths into Ashlyn’s mouth after Foster gave thirty compressions. After another round of compressions, he reached to her neck, checking for a pulse. “Damnit,” he leaned down, giving two more breaths.

“What’s this?” A police officer standing asked, walking a couple yards away. He leaned down and nudged at the black duffle bag with his toe. He donned a pair of latex gloves before reaching for the zipper. “Holy…” he gasped staring into the bag. “It’s filled with money…”

“Must have been the ransom,” another officer said, looking down at the bag. “She must have taken it with her.” He snapped a couple pictures of the bag for evidence and picked up. Grabbing an evidence bag from one of the police cruisers, he carefully placed the bag inside. If the kidnapper got away, they’d at least of his prints. 

As the three officers continued to attend to Ashlyn, two others combed the shoulder, looking for anymore evidence that may have fallen from the vehicle. Two others stayed back to direct traffic and wait for the life flight to land, while the rest went back to their cars to catch up with the chase.

“Help is here, Ashlyn,” Alex talked to her as they continued CPR. He heard the helicopter in the distance. “You’re gonna go to the best damn hospital…” he leaned down giving two more breaths. “Your momma is gonna be so happy to see you,” he checked for a pulse and again felt nothing. “Don’t do this Ashlyn, come on sweetie…” his yelled at her.

Foster and Weston sent each other a look as Alex’s voice cracked. They all knew the prior relationship between him and Lindsay. Now he was here, pleading with her daughter to breath.

“Alex, let someone else take over,” Brad Weston stated softly.

“No, I’m fine, just keep applying pressure!” Alex shook his head. How was he going to go back to Scottsville and tell Lindsay that they couldn’t save her daughter? The bastard tossed her from the car like a rag dog. He clenched his jaw. He was not going to do it. Ashlyn was going to survive. He was going to tell Lindsay that her daughter was alive and in the hospital, asking for her.

The slapping sounds of the helicopter got louder. Brad and Alex maneuvered their bodies closer together to block most of the flying debris as the medivac landed in the middle of the highway. The emergency medical crew climbed from the helicopter, pushing the gurney as they ran across the road. 

“We’ll take over,” the technician knelt down beside Alex. “How long?”

“15 minutes,” Foster said as the policemen moved away and the medical personnel took over.

“That bastard,” Alex seethed as he watched as Ashlyn was loaded onto a backboard. He wanted five minutes alone with the man that did this. He quickly moved to Ashlyn’s side and helped lift her onto the stretcher. She was strapped down and they were off rolling, pushing her towards the awaiting chopper.

“Where are you taking her?” he asked.

“Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville,” the EMT yelled over the propeller noise. “It’s the closest level 1 trauma center.” With the doors slammed shut and the helicopter lifted off.

**

“What’s taken them so long?” Lindsay pushed herself up from the couch and started pacing her living room floor. “They should have caught him by now. They followed him from the warehouse, they should have stopped him.”

“Lindsay,” Grace stood up. “They are doing everything they can.”

“What are they waiting on?” Lindsay turned towards Jackson, who had stayed silent for most of the time.

“It’s a chase Lindsay,” Dale spoke up. “It’s not like he’s just going to pull over. They have to be careful, they know Ashlyn’s in the car and they don’t want to do anything stupid.”

“Why’d you give him the money? You should have demanded Ashlyn before you just handed it off.”

Dale stiffened and rose from the chair he was sitting in. “So it’s my fault that he didn’t give her back? I’m sorry he had a gun, pointing towards my daughter’s head. I wasn’t going to do anything stupid to get her killed. If you had told me about her in the first place, none of this would have happened!”

Lindsay gasped, tears stinging her eyes. “You’re saying this is my fault?”

“Lindsay, honey,” Grace put a hand on her arm,

“No mom,” she shrugged off her mother’s arm and strode across the room, looking into Dale’s anger laced eyes. “This is my fault?”

“Damn straight,” Dale raised his voice, ignoring his sister’s hand, trying to pull him away. “If you would have told me about Ashlyn to begin with she wouldn’t have been walking to school that morning. She would have been at home, being home schooled so nothing like this could have happened.”

Lindsay raised her hand, slapping Dale hard across the face. “Go to hell,” she gritted before walking down the hall, her hand stinging.

“I’m sorry,” Grace fretted, looking at Dale then down the hall where her daughter had disappeared. “I—” she cut off not knowing what to say before walking from the room to find Lindsay.

“Dale…” Kelley started slowly. “Come on,” she pulled gently on his arm, urging him to the kitchen. “Let’s go outside, get some fresh air.”

“I’m fine,” Dale stepped away from his sister, he rubbed his stinging cheek. It hadn’t been the first time a woman had slapped him, but it had definitely been the hardest.

“Dale—“

“Kelley I’m fine,” he gave a humorless laugh. “Won’t be the last time I’ve been slapped.”

“I could care less about your face,” Kelley crossed her arms. “If that would have been me, I would have decked you. How could you?”

“Well it’s true; Ashlyn wouldn’t be living here if I had known about her.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about you jackass. You stood there and blamed her for this whole mess.”

“She should have told me!” Dale yelled.

“She should have,” Kelley agreed. “But she didn’t ask for this. She didn’t ask for something to happen to Ashlyn. If she lived here or in North Carolina, there is a possibility this would have happened there. This is your fault too.”

Dale whirled around to face his sister. “How the fuck is this my fault?”

“Why the hell didn’t you wrap it up? Why didn’t you give her your number, you hand that damn thing out like candy sometimes anyway! You didn’t exactly make it easy for her to tell you and she did try to contact you.”

“Once!”

“Better than not at all,” Kelley yelled. “And the only way she knew how wasn’t all that good anyway considering the amount of mail that came for dad. Probably had no chance in hell reaching you anyway, but how did she know that? How did she know that you never received it? For all she knew, you got it and didn’t give a flying fuck.”

“I don’t have to listen to this bullshit, why don’t you go find her and have a pity party. ‘Poor me; my daughter has been kidnapped.’ ‘Poor me; her father is an asshole.’ Boo fucking hoo!” Dale pulled open the back door off the kitchen. “You know what? Poor me! I’m the guy who lost thirteen years of his daughter’s life and now there’s a chance where I might not get to meet her.” 

Kelley jumped when the door slammed. She rubbed her temples, giving a heavy sigh. She felt for both of them, she really did. She saw Lindsay’s side and she saw her brother’s side. She knew he was upset for not being on his side, but she couldn’t help it. It didn’t matter what side she was on, or who blamed who for what. All that mattered right now was getting Ashlyn back safe and sound.

“Sorry about that,” Kelley sent Jackson a small smile as she walked back into the living room.

“No problem, this is a tough situation,” Jackson smiled. “Tensions are high and they are scared.” He broke off when his radio crackled.

“This is Deputy Foster, badge number 948564. We need an ambulance, highway 31 south, at the state limit sign, victim thrown from a car.”

Kelley’s eyes shot to Jackson’s, wide with fear. She watched as the officer brought his radio to his ear to hear it better.

“Unresponsive female, gunshot wound…” Jackson’s radio crackled again. “Starting CPR…requesting life flight.”

Kelley felt tears trickle down her cheeks. The look on Jackson’s face told her the information she needed to know. The victim was Ashlyn. She heard a gasp and looked over her shoulder seeing Lindsay, standing frozen in place.

“Who are they requesting life flight for?” Lindsay whispered looking at the officer, not noticing Kelley slip from the room.

“Ma’am,” Jackson stated, wishing he wasn’t the one to reply the information. There was a chance that they weren’t talking about Lindsay’s daughter, but he knew they were. The voice on the radio was another deputy in Scottsville, who had no reason to be at the state line other than a high speed chase.

“Tell me!” Lindsay yelled.

“You’re daughter,” Jackson said softly and moved forward to catch her as she paled and staggered on her feet, but Dale beat him to it.

“My baby…” Lindsay whispered, allowing Dale to take her to the couch.

Dale came back inside after Kelley’s urging to catch the last the final sentence. He didn’t have to hear the rest to know what was going on. Kelley had mentioned something about an ambulance. He saw Lindsay sway on her feet and rushed to catch her before she fell to the floor. He held her tightly in his arms, taking her to the couch, sitting down next to her, unable to take his arms from around her. 

“My baby…oh God,” Lindsay whispered, turning towards Dale burying her head in his chest as she sobbed. ‘Unresponsive.’ ‘Gunshot wound.’ ‘Life flight.’ Her daughter was seriously injured. She could lose her. 

Dale tightened his hold on her, lowering his head. He felt tears well up in his eyes and he fought to keep them at bay. He couldn’t cry, wouldn’t cry. He needed to be strong, strong for his sister, strong for Lindsay’s mother…strong for Lindsay. Holding her close to him, he rubbed her back; it was the only thing he knew to do.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter seventeen

Alex pulled outside Lindsay’s house and cut the motor. Looking towards the house, he heaved a sigh. He didn’t want to do this. He was about to go in a crash their worlds. He was supposed to have brought Ashlyn back, safe and sound. Closing his eyes he gave a little prayer, asking for strength. Taking a deep breath he climbed from the car making his way up the walk to the front door.

Walking in he saw everyone huddled into the living room. His gut twisted seeing Lindsay in Dale’s arms, her eyes red rimmed from crying. He wanted to reach for her, draw her into his arms and comfort her, apologizing for not being able to do more.

Deputy Jackson noticed him first. He pointed to his radio and Alex understood. They knew. Closing his eyes again, he stepped into the room, finally drawing attention so his presence.

“Alex,” Lindsay stood up immediately, going to him. She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. 

Alex sighed, engulfing her in a hug, hugging her back just as tightly. He heard her start sniffling again and his heart broke. He didn’t want to tell her. But he had to. This information had to come from him.

“Lindsay,” he said quietly, slowly pulling back. He looked down into her swollen green eyes. A lump rose in his through.

“Tell me, Alex,” she whispered pulling back from his arms as Dale moved to stand behind her. “What happened? Where is Ashlyn?”

“She was transported to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville via life flight,” he started off, immediately seeing Lindsay’s eyes widen. “It’s the best trauma center in the region.”

“Trauma…” Lindsay whispered, leaning back, feeling Dale’s presence behind her. 

“Just tell us,” Dale spoke up unable to stay silent. He wanted to know the information now and didn’t need the deputy to sugarcoat it. 

Alex sighed, shooting a glare towards Dale. He wanted to break the news as gently as possible. “Ashlyn was pushed or…or fell from the car,” he stopped hearing gasps. 

“Oh God,” Lindsay’s mind whirled. Her daughter was pushed out of a moving car during a chase. She needed to get to her. “I…I need to go. I have to be there.” She needed to be by Ashlyn’s side. “Alex, you have to get me there.”

“I can drive you,” Alex nodded, knowing it would be faster to drive his police cruiser the hour and a half trip than a personal vehicle.

“My plane…” Dale cut in. He watched as Alex’s eyes narrow but ignored the man, turning Lindsay around to face him, his hands on both her shoulders he looked into her eyes. “My plane is at Falin Landing Strip. We can take off immediately.”

Alex rolled his eyes not liking how the racer rubbed his nose in the fact that he had his own personal plane and a pilot ready to go at the drop of a hat. He was flaunting his money around.

“Really?” Lindsay asked, tears trickling down her cheeks. A plane would get her to Nashville faster than Alex could drive.

“Say the word and I’ll call my pilot and tell him to get the plane ready,” Dale nodded.

“Yes, oh thank you Dale,” Lindsay hugged him. She let go and ran from the room to pack a small overnight bag.

“You know, you can stop the pissing contest,” Kelley whispered once Alex moved away to talk with Jackson.

“What are you talking about?”

“If you’re gonna pull a jealous guy act, you might want to pull it on the boyfriend, not the cop.”

Dale rolled his eyes, pulling out his phone to call his pilot. “I’m not jealous. I don’t have any feelings for Lindsay.”

“Yeah, right,” Kelley murmured as Dale moved away to talk to his pilot. 

A few minutes later, Lindsay and Grace emerged from the bedroom with a duffle bag. Lindsay looked at Kelley expectantly. “Aren’t you coming?”

“I can’t,” Kelley shook her head. “I have to get back to home.” She had an important sponsorship meeting on Thursday that she had to attend to try and secure the dollars for next year. Not to mention, she couldn’t stay in Tennessee much longer without Brenda wanting an explanation. 

“Well stay here and leave tomorrow,” Lindsay told her firmly, pulling the woman into a hug. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“Let me know the minute you hear anything,” she hugged woman back. 

“Ready?” Dale asked grabbing his bag that he hurriedly packed. He was surprised when his sister told him she wasn’t going.

“I have to get back, Mom is going to start asking questions,” Kelley said and pulled her brother into a hug. “Do not and I repeat, do not start fighting with Lindsay. Put aside your anger and differences and focus on your daughter. She needs you right now,” she whispered before giving Dale a kiss on the cheek. “You call me as soon as you hear anything. Don’t be surprised if Mom calls you tomorrow either.”

Dale nodded and moved away from his sister. He grabbed Lindsay’s bag. When Alex volunteered to drive them to the strip, he said nothing, just forced a smile and walked out with Lindsay and Grace. He gritted his teeth as he watched Alex place a hand on the small of Lindsay’s back, herding her to the passenger seat. Remembering what Kelley had told him, he bit his tongue and opened the backseat door for Grace to get in before following suit.

**

Once landing at Nashville International, they climbed from the Lear jet into the rental car that Dale had arranged to meet them so they wouldn’t have to fight with the crowds inside the airport or the chance at him being recognized and mobbed.

Quickly punching the address into the GPS system they realized it was a short drive and in no time was pulling into the hospital. Dale pulled on the ball cap he had stuffed in his bag along with a sweat shirt in hopes it was somewhat mask his identity. Leaving their bags in the car, they climbed from the vehicle rushing towards the emergency room.

“I’m looking for my daughter,” Lindsay told the nurse behind the counter. “She was brought in by life flight.”

“Name?” The nurse looked down at the computer.

“Name?” Lindsay repeated. “How many kids were brought in by life flight?”

Dale placed his hand on the small of Lindsay’s back. “Ashlyn Pierce.”

The nurse’s hands flickered over the keyboard, clicking the mouse a few times. “She’s on the third floor. Go down this hall to your left, hang a right to the elevators. Once you get to the third floor, go left and then a right. You’ll see another nurse’s station. They’ll be able to help you.”

“Thank you,” Dale said and ushered Lindsay away from the nurse before she could say anything. 

They rode the elevator in silence and quickly found their way to the nurses’ station, the waiting room to the left was fairly empty. 

“My daughter was brought here by life flight,” Lindsay said getting the nurses’ attention. “Ashlyn Pierce. The emergency room sent us up here.”

“Yes,” the nurse looked down at her computer, her nails dancing over the keys. “She’s in surgery right now.”

“Surgery,” Lindsay gasped. “For what?”

“Ma’am, all I can say is that she’s in surgery. A doctor will come out and talk to you about your daughter’s condition when her surgery is over,” the nurse told her.

“How long with that be?” Grace asked.

“That I can’t tell you,” the nurse saw the dejected look on their faces. “I’m sorry. I just don’t know how long the surgery will take. I’ll pass word that her family is here and I’ll try to get someone out to talk to you as soon as I can.”

“Thank you,” Dale gave the nurse an appreciative smile before he turned away from the desk, leading Lindsay to the waiting room where they holed up the corner, out of the way. He hoped no one would recognize him. He didn’t think they would because he wasn’t expected to be in the Nashville area, certainly not at a hospital. He wondered if he should ask to speak with the administrator. In case word got out that he was here and he all of a sudden had a daughter, he would have help to get the media from getting into the hospital and stop the staff from talking. For the time being, he settled with keeping his hat pulled low and not making eye contact with anyone.

“What could be taking them so long?” Lindsay got up after an hour of waiting with no word. The nurse they had spoken with earlier bustled about with her normal activities, never giving them a second glance. She wondered if she even informed anyone that she was here.

“I don’t know baby, but sit down, they’ll come get us when she’s out of surgery,” Grace told her daughter. The waiting was hard on all of them. It was worse because they didn’t know what she was having surgery on. They knew nothing of her status. She wished the nurse could have given them some information that they could hold on to until a doctor came and spoke with them.

Dale reached into his pocket feeling it vibrate. Pulling it out, he gave a small groan seeing his mom pop up on the caller ID. He ignored the call feeling bad, but he didn’t know how he was going to talk to her. She didn’t know what was going on; just that he and Kelley were out of town. He hoped she thought it was for business, but he knew his mother was smart enough to figure it out. She had probably figured he was in trouble and his sister was coming to his rescue.

Feeling it vibrate again, he sighed. There was no putting her off. She was going to keep calling until he answered. She had probably talked with Kelley who spilled the beans. He finally relented and answered.

“Hi Mom,” he said into the phone.

“Dale Junior, what is going on,” Brenda’s voice came over the receiver. “I just got off the phone with Kelley who was very vague, and by that I mean telling me nothing. How much trouble are you in?”

He knew his mother well or she knew him well. He didn’t know which one, but if he had to guess he’d go with the latter. Sighing, he rubbed his temples. How was he going to break this news?

“Are you alright?” Brenda asking, picking up on her son’s demeanor. 

“I’m fine Mom,” he told her, not wanting her to worry.

“Then what is going on, Dale?”

Dale sighed knowing his mother wasn’t about to be put off. “Alright, just don’t freak out on me…”

Brenda groaned. “What have you done?”

“I haven’t done anything. I’m not in trouble,” he took a deep breath. This was probably one of the hardest things he had to tell his mom. “Last week I found out that I had a daughter—”

“What!” Brenda shrieked. “Are you serious? Do you have proof? This isn’t some scheme by one of them track bimbos you’ve slept with is it?”

“No Mom,” he rolled his eyes. “This is real. She’s mine.”

“Did you get a paternity test? Is she threatening marriage? Going to the media?” Brenda fired off questions.

“Mom, listen!” Dale raised his voice, trying to stop his mother’s tirade. “Are you gonna listen to me?” He waited a minute and took the silence as a yes. “I just found out about it last week, but Ashlyn is thirteen years old…”

“Dale,” Brenda rubbed her head. Her son had a thirteen year old daughter he didn’t know about? 

“I know, I know. It happened in Colorado on that skiing trip I went on with Hank and Josh.” He knew his mother was still trying to process the information. He didn’t want to tell her this way. “Lindsay found me last week and told me about her.”

“Why’d she wait so long?”

“I don’t want to get into all that right now, mom. She came to me because someone kidnapped Ashlyn and was demanding a ransom,” he paused hearing his mother’s gasp.

“Is she alright?”

“I don’t know we’re at the hospital right now. She’s in surgery, no one’s told us anything.”

“Which hospital?”

“Mom—”

“Dale Junior, do not think for one minute that you can spring this information on me and that I would not come,” she scolded him.

Dale sighed knowing what was going to happen. “Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville. Call me when you land.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can, June,” his mother sighed. “Just stay positive. Everything will turn out okay.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not have medical knowledge. So liberties have been taken.

Chapter Eighteen

Lindsay stood staring out the window in the waiting room, unable to stay seated any longer. The hours were slowly ticking off and it was going on four hours since they had first arrived. She had filled out the numerous forms the nurses handed her. Her handwriting unfamiliar to her eyes as her hand wouldn’t stop shaking. She tried processing all the different scenarios of what was taking them so long. But instead of comforting her, they made her freak out even more.

The window looked out over a courtyard, then to the other side of the hospital. The quad was empty giving the time of day and the weather outside. Since they’ve been in Nashville it had started snowing. Flakes fell from the sky but the ground was still too warm for them to stick. She gave a yawn even though it was still early in the night. 

“Honey, why don’t you come and lay down,” Grace told her daughter.

“I’m fine, Momma,” she said as she continued to watch the snow flakes fall wondering if she’d be able to build a snowman with Ashlyn this year – a tradition for them on the first real snow of the winter.

Grace shook her head at her daughter’s stubbornness, a trait that had been passed on from her father. She glanced over at Dale, who sat fidgeting with his phone. She moved to sit beside him, placing her hand over his. “Your mother is on her way?” She over heard the conversation from earlier.

“Yeah, I knew once she found out, she’d come,” Dale sighed leaning back in his chair. He hated waiting, he hated not knowing – he hated hospitals. “I just want to know what’s going on and what’s taking them so long.”

“I know you do.”

“How can you be so calm?”

“I’m not,” Grace said truthfully. “On the inside I’m a wreck. That’s my only grandchild. But I know that God will not take her from us before you have a chance to get to know her.”

“I hope so,” Dale sighed and slid his phone open and close. He tapped his foot and glanced towards the doors, willing them to swing open and produce a doctor. He had found something that his name and status wouldn’t help him with. But even if it could, he couldn’t use it for fear of the story leaking.

He looked over at Lindsay wanting to do something. He hated seeing a female cry or in pain. One of the first times in his life, he felt helpless – utterly helpless.

“Pierce?”

Lindsay spun around quickly and saw a doctor standing in the waiting room wearing green scrubs and a white surgical cap. A mask hung loosely around his neck.

“Yes?” Lindsay walked to him, her legs feeling like lead. She tried to read the doctor’s expression. He wasn’t smiling, but he wasn’t frowning. His mouth was set in a thin line.

“Please follow me,” he held his arm out, pointing to a smaller room, off the waiting room with a door. A sign on the door said doctor consultation. 

Lindsay followed Dale and her mother into the room, noticing how Grace sat in the chair, leaving the loveseat for her and Dale to sit on. Lowering herself next to Dale, she stared at the doctor expectantly. 

“I’m Doctor Williams,” he said introducing himself before getting down to business. “Your daughter was brought in by life flight in serious condition. She fell from a moving car after being shot. The bullet entered the deltoid muscle of her left shoulder, miraculously missing any bones. We removed it and repaired the damage to the nerves. She will be in a sling for a few weeks and will take a couple months or so before she will be fully able to use her arm.”

Lindsay’s hand moved and gripped Dale’s as the doctor talked about Ashlyn’s shoulder. She tried not to get her hopes up as he was talking about being able to fully use her arm in a couple months. If he was talking about a couple months down the road that meant she would be fine. Didn’t it?

“She has many abrasions – road rash - over her body from the asphalt and gravel along the shoulder,” Doctor Williams continued his assessment. “While it’s not serious, she will have some minor scarring. Her clothes were able to save her from it being more severe. During the fall from the car, her hip impacted the concrete causing a fracture in the minor ring of her pelvic bone. We inserted surgical pins to hold the bone in place while it heals.”

Dale entwined his fingers with Lindsay’s, his hand gripping hers almost as hard as she was holding his. While these injures were severe, they weren’t life threatening. He wanted to relax his muscles and let out the breath he had been holding since the doctor had called them into this room, but he had a feeling there was more to come.

“Ashlyn suffered blow to the head, combined with the amount of time she was unresponsive has put her in serious condition,” he said. “She was breathing when she got here, but unconscious with slow pupil reaction to light. A CT scan revealed a subdural hematoma on the top of the frontal lobe. It’s where blood gathers within the outer protective covering of the brain causing intracranial pressure. We drilled a hole into Ashlyn’s skull to relieve the pressure. She’s in ICU being closely monitored. She’s in a coma.”

“Wh…when will she wake up?” Lindsay whispered. Her head hurt trying to sort through the medicine jumble the doctor had told her. 

“I can’t say for sure,” Dr. Williams told her. “It could be tomorrow, next week next month. A coma is a way for the body to shut down and repair itself. Your daughter has suffered traumatic injuries. Right now, we won’t know much on her condition and how this will affect her until she wakes up.”

“Can we see her?” Dale asked.

The doctor shook his head. “Ashlyn is with several other patients. She’s being closely monitored. I’d advise you to check into a hotel, get some sleep and come back tomorrow morning, “he looked at Dale. “I don’t want to pry, but is there going to be media involved?” It was the first time he acknowledged that he knew who Dale was.

“I hope not,” Dale shook his head. “No one knows that I’m here, sir, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

Dr. Williams nodded his head. “Alright, I’ll make sure Ashlyn is moved to a private room. I’ll talk with the administrator to let them know of this case and we’ll do everything we can to make sure nothing is leaked to the media and you are not bothered while you are here.”

“Thank you,” Dale nodded.

“Any more questions?” He asked, looking at each individual in the room. “Alright, I’d suggest you follow my instructions and get a hotel room for the night. Get some sleep and come back tomorrow morning. You’ll be able to see her then. There is a Marriott around the corner; it’s the closet hotel to the hospital.”

“Thank you,” Grace told the doctor before he turned and walked from the room. She turned to look at her daughter, who still sat unmoving on the loveseat. “Lindsay?”

“Linds?” Dale said softly, dropping her hand, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her against him. “She’s okay.”

“She’s in a coma…”

“She’s alive,” Dale told her. “This is the best hospital in the region. They’ll do everything they can.”

“I don’t want to leave,” she whispered.

“I know, I don’t either, but there is nothing we can do here other than sit in uncomfortable chairs in the waiting room.” He stood up, helping Lindsay up.

“What if something happens?”

“Then they’ll call us,” Grace interjected. “We’ll leave our cell phone numbers with the nurse to call us if anything happens.” She wrapped her arm around Lindsay. “Dale is right; we’ll just sit out in those chairs out there watching CNN over and over. Let’s get a hotel, go to sleep and come back here first thing in the morning and sit with Ashlyn.”

“Okay,” Lindsay nodded as they walked from the room, and were met with a woman running up to them.

“Dale, what’s going on?” 

Dale took the arm that wasn’t holding Lindsay to wrap it around his mother. When he pulled back, he noticed her looking at Lindsay and Grace. “Mom, this is Lindsay and her mother, Grace. Lindsay, Grace, this is my mother, Brenda.”

Grace shook Brenda’s hand and gave her a small smile. “Nice to meet you, though I wish it were under better circumstances.”

“Me too,” Brenda said, looking to her son for answers.

“We’re on our way to a hotel. The doctor said we’d be able to see her tomorrow,” he quickly gave his mom the rundown of what the doctor had just told them. 

“Oh my…” Brenda gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. She reached out, hugging her son again. “Did they catch the bastard who did this?”

Dale shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. We haven’t heard anything and right now, I’m more worried about Ashlyn.”

“Let’s go check into a hotel,” Grace said. “We’ll get something to eat and talk about all this.”

“I’m gonna leave our numbers with the nurse,” Dale said before walking up the counter. Once the nurse acknowledged him, he told them what was going on and passed on the phone numbers of all four of them. Looking over his shoulder he saw the three women paying him no attention and he leaned closer to the nurse.

“I want all bills sent here, made out to me,” he quickly scrawled his address on a sticky note he pulled from the desk. “Do not send them to Lindsay,” he handed the nurse the pad. “Do not, give that address out or else I will bring holy terror down on you and this hospital.”

“Mr. Earnhardt, believe it or not, I value my job and don’t believe in spreading gossip or patient records for a quick buck,” the nurse said haughtily.

“You’re one of the few then, thank you,” Dale replied. After getting a confirmation that they’d call if anything happened, he walked back to the group. “All set, they will call if anything changes.”

He ushered the three women down the elevator and out of the hospital. He shivered stepping outside in the cool wind, the temperature having dropped tremendously since they had first arrived. They climbed into the car and Dale drove them to the Marriott. Finding a parking spot, he told them to wait in the car while he went inside.

“He’s going to pay for it, isn’t he?” Lindsay asked watching him from the backseat as he disappeared through the double doors.

“More than likely,” Grace said squeezing her daughter’s hand. 

“I don’t need him to.”

“Honey, just let him.”

They fell back into silence and waiting for Dale to come back out. When he came out a few minutes later, they emerged from the car. Dale leaned in, hooking a hotel parking slip on the rear view mirror before grabbing his bag, he reached for his mothers, but she shook her head, nodding towards Lindsay.

“I got it,” he said taking the bag from Lindsay’s grasp, slinging the strap over his shoulder. After making sure everyone had their things, he hit the lock on his key chain before putting the keys in the front pocket of his black hoodie and walked towards the hotel front doors.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

He paced back and forth in the interrogation room, waiting for the cops to come in and question him. By now they already knew his name and his background. He knew they were watching in from the window and he forced himself not to raise his middle finger. He didn’t need anymore charges added to the list of ones he had already racked up in the last four hours. 

How could he have been so stupid? He should have shoved the brat to her parents and taken off. Mexico would have been in his sights by now, where he’d be thinking about how he was going to spend the money he had collected. He gritted his jaw thinking about the money. 

*Flashback*

“No,” he yelled seeing her grab the bag. She couldn’t take the money. He needed that. He gripped the gun, firing a shot off as Ashlyn fell from the car. He watched in stunned silence as the black duffle bag teetered on the bottom of the door jam before falling completely from the car.

“NO!” His heart slammed into his chest. The money was gone. Everything leading up to this week was for nothing. How could he have been so stupid? He should have been holding onto the money.

‘The girl should have been gone at the warehouse,’ he yelled to himself. ‘You stupid, stupid bastard.’

Glancing in the rearview mirror, he saw the cops on his tail pull off to the side of the road, no doubt to check on the girl. Seeing that he still had a couple behind him, he tightened his hold on the steering wheel and punched the gas. The car jolted forward, causing the passenger side door to slam shut. 

He was going for broke now; there was nothing to win, but everything to lose. There was a small chance he would make it, that he would get away. They didn’t need him anymore; they had the girl and the money. He had no idea how he was going to get himself out of the mess he had created. 

When he pulled into the warehouse and didn’t see any police cars, he had grown cocky. He had been waiting on an ambush of gun-toting police officers, but when Lindsay and Dale pulled up alone he couldn’t contain his excitement. His plan was actually working. To actually get away with both Ashlyn and the money, you would have thought he had planned it, instead of it being a spur of the moment action. 

He noticed the other passenger cars headed in the opposite direction he was begin to slowly thin out before he was the only car on the road besides the cop cars chasing him. The cars in his mirror had seemed to double since he looked last. He took one hand off the wheel, wiping his sweaty palm against his jeans. Glancing down at the gun on his lap, he briefly played with the idea of firing back towards the cars. 

Shaking his head, he re-gripped the wheel and sat up straighter. If he started firing, that allowed them to open fire on him. He couldn’t take the chance of being injured. No he had to think of a way out of this without the gun.

*end flashback*

He sighed and rubbed his hands over his face and back through his hair letting out a sigh. Sending a glance towards the mirror, he wondered how long they were going to let him sit in here and stew. He just wanted everything to be over with. He should probably call a lawyer, but what was he going to tell him besides, ‘you’re fucked’? He knew that on his own and it didn’t cost him five hundred an hour. 

He wondered how the hell is life had managed this downward spiral in such a quick time. It was just a few short months ago that he was enjoying life, had an okay job, nothing too spectacular, but it paid the bills and left him with money to play with. He had a pretty girlfriend, even a diamond ring, waiting on the perfect moment. And now here he sat, in an interrogation room waiting to be booked on kidnapping charges.

*Flashback*

“Come on, go faster,” he muttered, urging the car to go faster than it was. He glanced in the rearview mirror seeing the line of cars still behind him. He watched as the black cars that were following him back off his bumper and he grew nervous. ‘What’s going on?’ he wondered. 

His question was answered when he saw two white cop cars pulling up along side the black cars and slip in behind them. He guessed they were Tennessee state cops claiming jurisdiction. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel and straightened up in his seat. He would drive all night if he had to. There was no way he was stopping, not with the charges he faced. He was liable to go to prison for life depending on what they slapped him with. He figured since it would be a high profile case, they’d slap every possible charge they could think of and then some on his ass. 

He maneuvered through the curves with ease, wondering how long they would chase him. If someone higher in their food chain would tell them to back off, just let him go. He wasn’t worth the amount of money they were wasting. They got what was important – the money and Ashlyn.

His stomach turned thinking about the money, about how it was in his grasp only to be whisked away in a second and gone. It made him sick. He gained and lost a million dollars in one day. His permanent vacation in Mexico – gone in the blink of an eye. 

The whapping of a helicopter broke him out of his reprieve. He saw the shadow pass over his car and the road and caught the white chopper out of the corner of his eye. Not only were police on his ass behind him, now he had police above him in the air. If something happened to the cars, the helicopter would be there.

‘What the hell are you going to do know?” He thought. More and more cops were following him and he didn’t have any ideas on how to lose them. When he thought up this scheme a couple months prior, it never involved running from the police. In his mind, the plan went off without a hitch. He never counted on problems arising. 

He wondered what Lindsay would think when she found out who was behind everything. How she was going to feel that he was under her nose the entire time. Finding that shoe box had been his ticket to fortune, sitting in plain sight for anyone to see. He had first passed the box off as a collection of mementos –memories that women tend to keep in boxes and such stashed in closets, remembering the good times. 

As he had sifted through the pictures he knew he hit pay dirt when he saw a photograph of Lindsay and Dale. When he found more pictures of the two of them in the box he grabbed the letters and skimmed through them, a grin forming on his face, dollar signs dancing in his mind. He had all the information he needed to extort money from the driver.

Of course, he never knew for sure if Lindsay would go to Dale for help, but he had to bank on the fact that she’d do anything to help her daughter. She had played right into his hands. He’d never forget the satisfaction he felt when he saw the popular driver in Scottsville. He had the perfect plan, the cops were bound to screw up with a name like Earnhardt involved and the publicity the case would rate. He just never figured it would be his dumb ass that screwed everything up.

Furrowing his brows as he looked in the mirror, he noticed the police cruisers behind him start slowing down increasing the distance between them. He frowned, wondering what was going to happen. He tried to think of the possibilities, thinking back to old cop movies and television shows. He didn’t know what it was, but he could guarantee it didn’t bode well for him.

His stomach tightened and he felt sweat start to bead on his forehead. He wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans. He touched the brake, slowing the car down. Something was going on. If the cops were backing off, they had a plan. One that didn’t include him getting away. He knew they just wouldn’t let him go – they couldn’t and wouldn’t. 

He saw cars off the side of the road in the distance and touched the brakes even more. He vaguely thought of a roadblock and subconsciously pulled on his seatbelt making sure it was tight. He was gonna bust right through them. A road block of police cars weren’t gonna stop him. 

When he got closer, he slammed on the brakes seeing the metal spikes lying across the road. The car started to fishtail and he fought the wheel to keep it on the road. With the amount of momentum he had been carrying, he locked the tires up and slid across the spikes.

Pow!

He heard the popping sound of his tires being punctured and he clenched his eyes shut. His run was over. He wasn’t getting away. No. He was going to jail.

*End Flashback*

He looked up when the door opened and two police officers came in. He didn’t recognize them and briefly wondered if his day in hell would be put off while the precinct got into a verbal pissing war over who had jurisdiction. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, eyes flickering between the uniforms. 

“Have a seat,” Officer Richard Adams pointed towards the chair that sat across the table from them, as he took a seat and opened the file folder, pulling out a document.

He pushed off the wall and walked towards the table and sunk down in the wooden chair. He leaned against the back, watching the two officers in front of him. He looked questioningly at the paper the officer slid across to him.

“This is a written copy of the Miranda warning,” Richard explained. “Your signature verifies that you were properly Mirandized and understand your rights as they were explained to you.”

He grabbed the pen that was offered to him and looked down at the paper, skimming over the words.

“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to have an attorney present during questioning. If you can not afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. You can decide at any time from this moment on to terminate the questioning and exercise these rights. Do you understand these rights?” 

The pen hovered over the paper. He took a deep breath, his hand faltering as he pressed the tip on the signature line and quickly scrawled his name.

Devon A. McAlister.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Lindsay barely slept at all that night. When she finally saw the clock snap to six thirty, she slid from the bed, careful not to wake her mother who was sleeping on the other side. The hotel had very few rooms available since it was Inspirational Country Music Week in Nashville. Dale didn’t want separate rooms so they would all be together if they got a phone call from the hospital, so he opted for the room that housed two double beds. He told them they were waiting on a suite to open up and they would be upgraded.

She didn’t care what room they had. Once she was allowed to see her daughter, she wasn’t going to be spending anytime in the room. All her time was going to be spent sitting next to Ashlyn. 

Lindsay took the bag she packed before leaving her house with her into the bathroom, where she turned on the shower, turning the nozzle as far left as she could stand. After undressing, she stepped into the tub, pulling the curtain close. She bowed her head, letting the hot water spray down on her neck.

She quickly washed herself with the hotel samples, forgetting to pack any of her shower items in her hasty packing attempt. She was lucky to have remembered to pack clean underwear and deodorant. After shutting the water off, she stepped from the tub, grabbing a white towel from the hanging rack on the wall. Taking note of the few towels, she didn’t grab one to wrap her hair in. 

After getting dressed, she walked from the bathroom where she noticed everyone beginning to stir. She stilled hearing a cell phone ring. Immediately going to the table that separated the two beds, she looked down at the four phones scattered on top. Grabbing the ringing phone up, she didn’t even notice whose phone it was.

“Hello?”

After a moment of silence, the person on the other side spoke up, “Lindsay?”

“Kelley?”

“Yeah, why are you answering Dale’s phone?” Kelley questioned as she pulled from the driveway of Lindsay’s house, getting an early start heading home.

Lindsay pulled the phone from her ear looking at it, noticing that it wasn’t hers. It didn’t bother her answering someone else’s phone; it never entered her brain that it might not have been hers that was ringing. All she cared about was the fact that the hospital had their numbers and would call if there was a change. She didn’t know which number they would call.

“I didn’t even look to see whose it was,” Lindsay sighed. “Here he is,” she handed the phone to Dale before turning away, walking to the sink.

“Hello?” Dale yawned, sitting up in bed, rubbing his eyes.

“You didn’t call me,” Kelley scolded. “I waited by the phone all night! You were supposed to call!”

Dale swore softly, “Sorry, Kel, after talking with the doctor and then mom showing up—“

“Mom is there?” 

“Yeah, she called and I told her,” he watched as Grace went into the bathroom and heard the shower start. He would be lucky to have any hot water by the time it was his turn. 

“How is Ashlyn, what did the doctor say?”

“Hold on,” Dale swung his legs out of bed, grabbing his jeans from the back of the chair. Slipping them on, he pulled his hoodie back over the t-shirt he slept in. “I’m gonna get breakfast. By the time I’m back, the shower will be free.” He told his mom before grabbing the keys and walking from the room.

“Where are you?”

“Marriott, they wouldn’t let us see Ashlyn last night,” he said and told her what the doctor said. “They don’t know when she’s gonna wake up. The doctor is letting us see her today, I’m scared.”

“Why are you scared?”

“She doesn’t know who I am. What am I supposed to say to her? What am I supposed to do?” Dale asked as he pulled into the McDonald’s drive thru.

“Just talk to her June,” Kelley told him. “Just go in there, sit down next to her, hold her hand and talk to her.”

“Hold on,” he said as he took the phone away from his ear as he placed his order. Pulling around, he inched his way to the first window. “They’re giving her a private room. Hopefully nothing will be leaked.”

“You need to give Mike a call,” Kelly informed him, talking about her brother’s public relations representative. “He needs a heads up so he’s not snowballed if this gets out.”

Dale sighed. This was going to be a media nightmare for all parties involved, whether it was leaked or came out via a press release from him. “I just want to wait until I know Ashlyn is going to be okay,” he pulled up to the window, handing over the bills to the attendant. “Thanks,” he said as he accepted his change, dropping it into the cup holder as he pulled forward, waiting on the two vehicles in front of him. Looking in his rearview mirror, he saw the line of cars behind him and he was happy he beat the morning breakfast rush.

“I…uh…gave the hospital my address to put in Ashlyn’s file,” he told her. “To send the bills to me.”

“Dale, that was… To do that…” she paused at the loss of words. 

“I want her to get the best possible care; I don’t want Lindsay to have to worry about how she’s going to pay for this.” He pulled up to the second window as the car in front of him pulled away. He reached over, accepting the drink holder, placing it in the passenger seat. 

“Dale Junior, you have a good heart,” Kelley told him.

Dale took the bag of food, sitting it in his lap. He searched through it, making sure he had his order before placing it next to the drinks. He put his window up as he pulled away from the restaurant. “What am I going to talk to her about?”

“Anything Dale, talk about anything you want. Just let her hear your voice.”

Dale sighed, pulling into the hotel parking lot. “Thanks Kel,” he said as he turned off the engine. “I need to get back to the room so we can eat and I can shower and get to the hospital.”

“Alright, call me later with an update okay?”

“I will,” Dale told his sister goodbye and hung up his phone, stuffing it into the pocket of his hoodie. Opening the door, he grabbed the drink holder and the bag of food, sliding from the seat. He bumped the door with his hip, shutting it. 

Back in the room, he noticed everyone had already showered. Sitting the food down on the small table in the corner, He kicked off his shoes, pulling the hoodie over his head. “Eat, I’ll be quick,” he told them, grabbing his bag heading to the bathroom.

**

Walking down the hospital corridor, Dale subconsciously pulled his hat lower on his head. He could feel the stares he was getting and could already see the gossip sites as they wondered about his presence at a Nashville hospital. He needed to get in touch with Rick and let him know what was going on.

As the got to the floor they waited on last night, they saw Doctor Williams behind the nurses’ station. Once he saw them he closed the folder in his hand and went out to meet them. 

“Did you guys get a hotel room okay?” Doctor Williams asked after shaking their hands.

“Yes, thank you,” Grace smiled at the doctor.

“How’s Ashlyn?” Lindsay asked.

The doctor smiled as he motioned them through the double doors. “Ashlyn did real good through the night. She’s been moved into a private room.” He filled them in as them came to a stop outside Ashlyn’s room. “I’m on call for the next twenty-four hours, so if you need me, just let one of the nurses know and they’ll page me.” He looked at each adult. “Do you have any questions?”

“Can she…can she hear us?” Dale asked.

“While it’s never been scientifically proven,” the doctor started. “Coma patients almost never remember any events during this time. But hearing is the last sense that we lose. I encourage you to talk to her, sing to her, play her favorite music. I suggest if you need to discuss anything that might upset her, to leave the room where she can’t hear you.”

Lindsay took a deep breath before turning towards the door; her daughter as just on the other side. She twisted the door knob and slowly pushed the door open. Glancing in the room she gave a silent gasp, seeing her daughter laying in the middle the hospital bed, covered with a white blanket. 

There was an IV drip coming from the top of her left hand, an oxygen tube wrapped around her ear, sending oxygen through the nasal cavity. Her left arm housed a sling from the gun shot wound. Road rash abrasions littered her face. 

“Oh, baby…” Lindsay whispered rushing to the bedside. She grabbed Ashlyn’s hand, holding it tightly in her arm. “I’m so sorry, honey.” She cried, kissing her daughter’s forehead before resting her head next to her. 

“Ash, honey,” Grace stepped forward next to Lindsay, wrapping an arm around her daughter, leaning over the bed, looking down at her granddaughter. “Sweetie,” she choked, feeling tears roll down her face. “We’re here Ashlyn, you’re safe now.” She whispered.

Dale stood inside the door unable to go to the bed where his daughter lay. What did he say? What would he do? Ashlyn didn’t even know him, so how would him talking to her help? It would more than likely make her more confused. She should be hearing the voices from the people that were close to her – Lindsay and Grace.

“Dale,” Brenda lifted her gaze from Ashlyn to her son. “Come here.”

He looked at his mother, then to Lindsay and Grace who paid him no attention. He slowly walked across the room to stand beside Brenda. He released a breath slowly before moving his eyes downward, raking them over Ashlyn. Once his eyes settled on his daughter’s face, he felt as if he was kicked in the stomach as his breath left in a whoosh. He felt tears prickling in his eyes and a lump rose in his throat.

“Excuse me,” he murmured before bolting from the room.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

Dale sat in the stairwell with his head in his hands as tears tolled down his cheeks, dripping onto the floor. How they must think he’s an idiot. He couldn’t even look at his own daughter before leaving the room. What Lindsay must think of him now? Why did he have to fall apart now? Why couldn’t he have held it together until he was alone? He wasn’t supposed to cry, he was supposed to comfort and protect. He was supposed to be strong.

Hearing the door behind him open, he huddled closer to the wall, hoping whoever came through the door would keep on walking and not stop to check on him. Feeling a body drop down next to him on the steps, he looked out of the corner of his eye seeing his mother. He sat up, wiping at his tears with the back of his hand.

“It’s okay to cry,” Brenda told her son, placing her hand on his forearm. “No one is going to think any less of you.”

“I shouldn’t be crying. I don’t have anything to cry over. I don’t even know her.”

“You have every right to cry, Dale Junior,” she told him. “That is your daughter in there. Your own flesh and blood. She’s still a part of you.”

Dale looked over at his mother, seeing her eyes shining with unshed tears. He closed his own, allowing a few tears to slip past his lids. “I was never there,” he whispered.

“Dale…”

“I was never there to rock her to sleep, to check for monsters underneath the bed and in the closet. I was never there to comfort her after a bad dream or teach her to ride a bike. I missed everything, how am I gonna get those years back, Mom? How am I going to look her in the eyes and tell her I’m sorry for not being there? What if she hates me? Hates me for not being there for her?”

“Oh, honey…” Brenda wrapped her arm around Dale’s shoulders, pulling her against him. As he cried against her, she did her best to comfort him. “She’s not going to hate you. She’s is going to be confused, you and Lindsay will have to sit down and explain everything to her. But she won’t hate you.”

“What if she’s disappointed? She probably had images of her father in her mind and now here I come. What if I’m not what she had in mind?”

“She won’t be disappointed. She’s going to be happy to finally have a father in her life. Don’t sell yourself short Dale,” Brenda told him. “You’re a good man. You’re a wonderful uncle. You’re gonna be a great father. It’s gonna take some time; you can’t expect everything to happen at once. You have to get to know each other first.”

Dale sat up, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. He took a couple deep breaths trying to get his breathing under control. He stared at the wall for a few minutes trying to collect himself before turning to look at his mother.

“Would Daddy be disappointed in me?”

Brenda’s eyes closed as realization dawned on her. “Your father was never disappointed in you – ever. He loved you.”

“But I didn’t take responsibility…”

“There is a difference between not knowing and blowing off,” Brenda told her son firmly. “What would you have done if you knew Lindsay was pregnant?”

Dale sat silent for a minute, mulling over the question. “I would have went to her, probably would have married her, brought her to North Carolina. I would have taken care of them.”

“Exactly,” Brenda nodded. “If your father were here now, he wouldn’t have been disappointed in you. He would be proud of you for dropping everything in your schedule to help your daughter, even after all this time. Don’t ever doubt yourself in your father’s eyes.”

“Thanks Momma,” Dale wrapped his mother in a hug. “I love you,” he said, kissing her cheek.

“I love you too, Dale.” Brenda whispered. She pulled away and stood up. “Now, let’s go back and sit with your daughter.”

**

Dale leaned forward on the chair, staring at Ashlyn, listening to the sounds of her heart monitor fill the room. They had sat in the hospital room all morning. Brenda and Grace had made small talk, getting to know one another, while he and Lindsay had sat at Ashlyn’s bedside, not saying anything. When the women went to the cafeteria for lunch, he was left alone with his daughter for the first time. He was scared, didn’t know what to say.

He moved to take her hand and cleared his throat. “Hey Ashlyn,” he stopped. What was he supposed to say? Why did this seem so hard? “I know you don’t know me, but I’m…I’m your father.” He paused as the words rolled off his tongue. “I’m your father and I’m sorry, I’m so sorry for not being there for you. I’m gonna make it up to you. I’m going to be here from now on. I missed so much already, I don’t want to miss anymore.

“You’ll have to bear with me. I don’t know what to say right now. This isn’t exactly how I pictured we’d meet. I’ll be honest with you, from the moment your momma told me about you, I didn’t want to believe it. I go from being a single man to the father of a teenager in a matter of seconds. I said some pretty terrible things to your mom. It wasn’t until I saw your picture that I knew.”

He sighed, rubbing his thumb across the back of Ashlyn’s hand. He couldn’t help but feel like an idiot, talking to someone who may not be able to hear him. “I don’t think I’ve ever been as scared in my life as I was when I saw him holding a gun to your head. At that moment, I would have given anything to trade places with you – to make sure that you would be okay.

“I should have done something, I shouldn’t have given him the money until you were safe,” he continued, running the drop-off scenario over in his mind again. “I couldn’t chance it. I couldn’t chance him hurting you or your mother. I had to protect you and ended up getting you hurt anyway.

“There are so many people that are going to want to meet you; I’m almost hesitant to let anyone else know. I want to keep you to myself for awhile,” he gave a small laugh thinking of his family and their reactions once they found out. “You’re gonna be overwhelmed when you meet them. My momma is here now; she’s a lot like your grandma, Grace. My sister Kelley, she’s anxious to meet you as well. They are the only ones in my family that know yet, I can’t keep anything from either of them; they know me too well.

“I also have an older half-brother and a younger half-sister, and many aunts, uncles and cousins. We’re a pretty crazy bunch when we’re all together,” he thought about the vacation he had planned for the whole family to go to Aspen, Colorado for a couple weeks over the winter. Looking down at Ashlyn, he realized that he didn’t want to go now, not if he couldn’t take his daughter.

“I feel kind of stupid now,” he chuckled lightly. “I’ve been sitting here talking and I just realized that you might not even know my name. But I’m Dale Earnhardt Jr. I think you might have recognized me when you saw me earlier, but you probably didn’t believe it. But I am. If you knew who I was, then you know that I’m a racecar driver. 

“I met your mother when I was on vacation in the Rockies,” Dale wondered if he should be telling her this, but he wanted to. “We uh,” he blushed realizing what he was about to tell his thirteen year old daughter. Maybe he shouldn’t be telling her this. “Well, we got together. Both of us knew it wasn’t forever, that we were just enjoying the time we had. My life was in North Carolina, racing, while your mother’s was in Colorado and going to school.

“I was a stupid fool, Ashlyn,” he sighed. “I didn’t know what I had back then with your mother. But what twenty one year old guy knows what love is? My head was all about racing and making it big. I wasn’t going to be held up by a woman. My heart though, it didn’t listen. I went back to the same lodge we met in for two winters straight looking for your mother. I never found her and I kicked myself for not even getting her phone number. I never forgot about Lindsay, I just figured that we weren’t meant to be.

“And then she showed up at my shop out of the blue, I couldn’t believe it. After all these years she was right in front of me,” he let a small smile grace his features. “She was just as beautiful as I remembered. Ashlyn, if I had known about you I would have been there. You have to believe me. I would have came back to your mother and been a part of your life.

“I hope you can forgive me for not being there. But I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure that I’m there for you now. Somehow I’m going to make up for all the lost time; I just hope you’ll let me.

“But know this,” Dale cleared his throat, getting choked up. “Ashlyn – you’re my daughter, I may just have found out and I have no idea what I’m doing, but I love you. It’s tearing me up right now knowing that you’re hurt and I can’t do anything about it. I’m not used to feeling so helpless. You have to help me baby girl, you have to wake up. I just now found you,” he lowered his head, kissing the top of Ashlyn’s hand as tears trickled down his face. “I don’t want to lose you.”

Grace let the door close softly as she back from the room. She hadn’t meant to stay and listen to the conversation and scolded herself for eavesdropping. She leaned against the door as a few silent tears rolled down her cheeks, thinking of how much time was lost between her daughter and Dale. Instead of losing themselves in a winter ‘fling’, they ended up losing their hearts to one another.


	22. Chapter 22

Twenty-two

Friday met Dale, for the first time in his life, not wanting to be at the track. He had left the hotel room early that morning, stopping at the hospital to see Ashlyn before he had to spend two days away. He was lucky it was only two days, as his schedule had been booked for the week with appearances and photo shoots. Qualifying was rained out the day before, which he was grateful for. 

He walked into his house and was greeted with silence. He was used to the thundering herd as his dogs, Killer and Stroker, would run and welcome him. Kelley had been nice enough to take them to her house while he was gone. He had Taylor stop by to check his mail and to make sure both his cats were fed. 

It surprised him how long ago it seemed that he had been in his house. Last Wednesday he had walked out of his house to make his rounds at the shops before flying to Talladega, not even knowing in such a few short hours, he would be knocked on his ass. He resisted the urge to call his mother to check on Ashlyn. He had only left there a few short hours ago. ‘Nothing could change that fast, could it?’ He wondered. 

He made his way to his bedroom, tossing his bag on the bed, almost landing it on top of Tux, who was curled up in the middle. The cat lifted his head and blinked up at his owner before stretching out his front paws and turning his head upside down, paws dangling in the air. He rubbed his belly for a couple minutes and then made his way to the shower, where he tried to wash the hospital antiseptic smell from his body.

After drying off, he pulled on a pair of Wrangler jeans and went through his closet before finally settling on a long sleeve white shirt and a plain red t-shirt to throw on over. Checking the clock, he realized he needed to get a move on so he would make it in time for the photo shoot he had. 

As he passed through to the kitchen, he hit the button on his answering machine, listening to the messages as he grabbed an Amp from the fridge.

“Man, what the hell is going on!” Christopher Allen’s voice rang through the machine. “You dropped off the face of the earth! Not returning anyone’s calls.”

“Yo man! Where’s the party at tonight!” Josh Snider’s voice came after Chris’s. “You bring the beer, I’ll bring the women!” Dale chuckled at the thought of Snider bringing any woman, let alone plural. “Happy birthday!”

Dale frowned and looked at the calendar hanging on the wall. He groaned seeing the date. How could he have forgotten his birthday was today? He knew it came up on Charlotte weekend. He was not up for partying tonight. What was he supposed to tell the guys? They expected a wild shindig every year.

“Just gonna have to do it without me,” he muttered grabbing his keys and phone before heading out the door.

**

Rick watched his newest driver from Jeff Gordon’s pit stall. Practice had just ended and Dale had brought the car back in from its final run. There were already a gaggle of reporters waiting to catch a word from the popular driver. And Rick could only begin to wonder if they all wanted to ask racing questions.

He hadn’t had a moment to talk with Dale yet since he returned from Nashville. He had been hoping to catch him before practice, but the morning was packed with a photo shoot for the 2009 Daytona 500 USA Weekend cover and a meet and greet with members of the JR Nation crew at the Champions Club. Once that was over, it was time for morning practice. 

Rick made his way into the 88 garage stall, watching as Dale gave the reporter’s a wary glance. “You’re gonna have to talk to them, give them something,” he commented when he stopped next to Dale and his crew chief, Tony Eury Junior.

Dale sighed, rubbing his face. “I know.” He looked back at the media personnel waiting for him and caught site of one in an orange shirt. “Get Wendy in here. I’ll talk to her.”

Rick nodded making his way towards the reporter, motioning for her to come into the garage stall. 

“Dale said he’d talk to you,” Rick stated. “But racing questions only.”

Speed reporter, Wendy Venturini nodded, “No problem,” she smiled stepping over to Dale and waited for her camera man to give her the nod.

“I’m here with Dale Earnhardt Junior, who was twelfth on the speed charts in practice. How’s your car?”

“We started off pretty good, we weren’t quite as fast as we wanted to be,” Dale stated. “We made some changes and made the car quicker than it was. I’m real happy with what it is right now. We didn’t get to see what we could have done in qualifying but we still have a great starting spot. I hope the weather will be good for final practice.”

“Are you glad to be back home racing in Charlotte?”

“I’m with a lot of the guys, we love racing in Charlotte because it’s home. I love the track and the atmosphere surrounding racing here. We ran real good in May here we’re hoping to come back with a win and after the past couple races we had, Talladega we got caught up in an accident, Kansas we didn’t finish where we wanted to and Dover we had a tire problem. We’re hoping to get it turned back around here this weekend and move back up in the points.” 

“And that was Dale Earnhardt Junior, who will roll off tomorrow night in the tenth position. Johnny,” Wendy said into the camera. When her cameraman gave her the clear, she turned towards Dale. “Thank you,” she smiled appreciatively, honored that he wanted her to be the one to interview him.

“Yeah, no problem, hunt me up for final practice later,” Dale told her before he made his way towards the hauler. He left the door open and made his way to the rear, sitting down on the black leather couch. He leaned his head back, closing his eyes. The muffled voices of his crew soon diminished and he knew that Rick had followed him asking not to be bothered.

Opening his eyes, he saw that he was right, and the hauler was now empty and Rick was sitting across from him; watching, waiting for him to speak. He sighed and sat up, resting his elbows on his legs. He opened his mouth to speak, but his cell phone. Reaching into his pocket he pulled it out, quickly answering it when he saw the caller ID. 

“What’s going on?”

“Dale, calm down,” Brenda said. “I just wanted to call you while you had a break in between practices. I know you’re worried. There has been no change in her condition since you left.”

Dale sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. He talked his mother for a few minutes before ending the call. He played with his cell phone, moving it back and forth between his hands.

“Dale, talk to me,” Rick stated. 

Dale opened his mouth and the words flowed freely. He told him everything that had happened from the minute he arrived in Kentucky up until he left this morning from Nashville. “They don’t know when she’ll wake up. I see the looks on their faces when they come into the room. They don’t think she will. Who survives those injuries? Who survives being thrown from a car?”

“Dale,” Rick started, his heart breaking at the turmoil the young man was going through, having his daughter in the hospital.

“I don’t want to be here,” Dale blurted. He saw the stunned look on his boss’s face and sighed. “I don’t want to be in the car. I thought I’d be better when I got here. That once I got into the car, I would be able to focus and forget about everything that’s going on. I can’t do it. My mind is back in that hospital room. All I can think about is getting a phone call saying, ‘we lost her.’ And I’m not there…again.” He put his head in his hands, swallowing the lump in his throat.

Rick sat in silence trying to gather his thoughts. He mulled over a few options in his mind before speaking. “Your place is in Nashville with your daughter Dale. You should be at her bedside with her and her mother.” He noticed Dale’s expression and continued. “I’m not going to keep you from your family. Your head is not concentrating at that car out there. You know as well as I don’t that that’s a bad combination. We’ll get someone else to drive the car for final practice and the race tomorrow night.”

Dale stared not knowing what to say. This was the out that he needed. Rick just gave him the okay to go back to Nashville and forgo the race. So why wasn’t he jumping at the chance? Why wasn’t he walking out the door on the phone with his pilot heading to Nashville? He opened his mouth to agree, but couldn’t form the words. 

He needed to be in that car. That’s who he was, what he did. If he didn’t race tomorrow night, he was letting down his race team, his sponsors, the Hendrick organization, his fans and most importantly himself. This was the hometown race; Amp had a special orange scheme on the car promoting the citrus flavor, Relaunch. Slowly he shook his head, “No, I need to race. Everyone is counting on me.”

Rick watched the emotions cross over Dale’s face as he made his decision and he could tell that he was still wondering if he had made the right one. “Are you sure? As your boss, I’m gonna tell you I want you in that car. It’s your car. But as your friend, I think you should be with your daughter.”

Dale nodded, “yeah, I’m sure.”

“Alright,” Rick knew it was pointless to argue with the man. “But Dale, if at any time you change your mind, you let me know. And if…if you need to get to Nashville in a hurry, we’ll get you there. Have you talked with Mike about this, yet?”

Dale shook his head, “I haven’t talked to anyone at all.”

“Do it now. Inform him of what’s going on, so he can be aware and start on the press release and won’t be blind sided if this happens to get leaked.” Rick stood up. “You have time before practice, talk to him now.” 

**

“Lindsay, go get something to eat,” Grace sat a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “I haven’t seen you eat anything all day.”

“I’m not hungry, Momma,” Lindsay told her mother, not taking her eyes off Ashlyn. She had her daughter’s hand clasped tightly between both of hers.

“Come on, we’ll go get lunch,” Brenda cut in. “Dale left us his rental. We’ll go grab something quick to eat and go to the store and get a few things. Give us a chance to stretch our legs and get to know each other.”

“That’s a good idea,” Grace agreed, turning back to Lindsay. “I’ll stay here with Ashlyn so she’s not alone. I promise to call if anything changes, even the slightest thing,” she gave her a little nudge. “Go on Linds…”

“Alright,” Lindsay relented. She did need to go to the store; she was tired of using the hotel’s toiletries. Standing up, she leaned over the bed, placing a kiss on Ashlyn’s forehead. “I’ll be back soon baby. I love you.” She gave her hand another squeeze before sitting it back down on the white blanket. “Do you need anything, Momma?”

Grace shook her head as she took the Lindsay had just been occupying. “No, I’ll go later.”

Lindsay moved to the door but hesitated, looking back towards Ashlyn.

“Go, Hon,” her mother looked up at her. “She’s in good hands.”

Lindsay grabbed her coat from the chair and followed Brenda out of her daughter’s hospital room. As the walked from the hospital, she wondered how much skin she’d have left after Dale’s mother got done with her.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

Lindsay sat in silence in the booth at Applebee’s, peering over the menu. The ride to the restaurant was quiet, neither woman talking, but she was sure as soon as they ordered and she couldn’t hide behind the menu, Brenda was going to start grilling her. It was kind of funny to her, she could take anything that Dale threw, but put his mother in front of her and she was scared.

“Your mother told me you are a nurse?” Brenda said after the waitress took their orders.

Lindsay nodded, “Yeah, I work at a nursing home back in Kentucky.” She was a little wary answering the question. The question was innocent enough, but she was waiting for the real stuff that Brenda wanted to ask.

“How do you like it?” 

“I love it; I’ve been a nurse for almost ten years now. I got a job at the Manor right out of college, been there ever since,” she smiled. “I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else.”

“So you went to school in Kentucky then?” Brenda took the time to study the woman in front her. When Dale had called her, she had no idea what to expect to find when she flew in. All she could picture was a daddy’s girl, who got everything she wanted, not having to work and hung around Lake Norman trying to land a driver to hang on his arm. Upon meeting Lindsay she was surprised to find the total opposite and was grateful not to see anything that was surgically enhanced. 

“Well I spent a year going to Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colorado before I moved to Kentucky. Then I went to Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, which was good because it was only a forty minute drive from my mother’s house.”

As she listened to Lindsay talk about her job, Brenda couldn’t help the thoughts that ran through her mind. This was the kind of woman she wanted Dale to find and settle down with. This was the kind of woman would not only be able to handle his attitude and mood changes, but his demands and schedule. She knew what hard work and dedication was. Not only did she make it through four years of school, she did it while raising a young child alone. She understood long hours and demands of the job. She was pretty, smart and best of all, knew Dale before he became a household name. She knew the real man. 

She noticed that Lindsay never looked at her during the entire time she spoke and reached out across the table, clasping her hands over Lindsay’s. When she met the woman’s eye, she gave a small smile. “Relax; I’m not going to jump all over you about your reasoning for not telling Dale. I was being honest when I said I wanted to get to know you. You’re the mother of my grandchild, I’d like for us to get along.”

Lindsay sighed and visibly relaxed. “I was scared that you were gonna have me for lunch. I thought I had been good so far in to not being caught alone with you. For some reason, you scare the crap out of me. Maybe it’s because you’re a mother too.”

“Oh honey,” Brenda smiled reassuringly, patting her hands. “I may not agree with what you did, but I’m sure you did what you thought was best at the time. While I would have liked to have known about Ashlyn, I don’t hold it against you. What’s important is that we know now and can get to know her.”

Pursing her lips, Lindsay blinked back the sudden onslaught of tears. After gearing herself up for an onslaught of anger; the gentle, soft hearted words touched her emotions. She wiped at her cheeks with the back of her hands.

“Oh dear,” Brenda hurried from her seat and slid next to Lindsay, wrapping her arm around her shoulders. “I didn’t mean to make you cry,” she reached for the napkin that held the silverware, handing it to the woman. “It’s alright,” she whispered.

“I’m sorry,” Lindsay wiped her tears away with the napkin. “I just…I didn’t expect you to be nice to me.”

“Lindsay, you and Dale will have a lot of things to work out in the near future concerning Ashlyn,” Brenda started. “There are going to be a lot of trying times, it’s going to be a big adjustment for all three of you.”

“I never meant to hurt him,” Lindsay whispered, looking down at her hands, resting in her lap, fingering the napkin.

“I know you didn’t, honey,” Brenda gave her a reassuring squeeze. She saw the waitress moving towards their table with their lunch and moved back to her side. Once the waitress was gone, she smiled across the table. “Tell me a story about Ashlyn.”

Lindsay smiled as she reached for a French fry, “Well, when she was four years old…”

**

Dale groaned when he saw the cars littered in his driveway as he pulled in front of his house after getting back from the track. He heard the music and laughter flowing from inside as he pushed his door open and climbed from the truck. He should have known his friends would take it upon themselves to throw him a party. 

Walking up the steps to his front porch he paused. He had a chance right now to leave before he was seen knowing once he walked through his front door; any chance of slipping away was gone. Before he was able to make his decision, the door swung open, revealing Josh Snider.

“It’s about damn time!” Josh exclaimed, ushering Dale into his house. 

Cheers and hollers met him as he glanced around the room, seeing guys from his shop along with his Cup team and other assorted friends. An opened beer was shoved in his hand.

“You my friend, are gonna party tonight and have a damned good time,” Josh told him. “I told you I’d bring the women, ain’t no slim pickins tonight!” He grinned as he looked around the room, seeing the ladies he rounded up for a party at Junior’s house.

Dale sighed as he saw his house crawling with the usual lizards and a few new ones. They were dressed in their tight jeans, short skirts and revealing tops. Normally, he’d toss a beer back, grab another and go scope out a woman for his nightly entertainment. But tonight he didn’t feel like it. The thought of taking one of these women to his bed caused his stomach to turn. He didn’t need a party, beer to drown his sorrows or a woman to take his mind of things. His brain was overloaded with thoughts of Ashlyn, Lindsay and how they were going to come out of this. What his fans and competitors will think once he releases the fact that he has a daughter. 

He put a smile on his face and told himself he needed to get through the better part of the night. He couldn’t kick people out without causing a bunch of questions; questions he didn’t want to answer yet. He only hoped he could sneak away to his room, alone, without being missed. 

“You need a nipple on that or something,” Chris’s voices rang out as he walked up to Dale, clapping him on the back. “Drink it, it’s gonna be a long night!”

Dale chuckled before taking a drink of the cold beverage. “You know I have a race tomorrow night. I can’t exactly ‘tie one on’.”

“You’ll have plenty of time to recover before the race,” Sonny Lunsford said, joining the group. 

“Now, drink, or we’ll be even more pissed off since you left us this week without so much as a, ‘fuck you’,” Chris said. 

“I plan on getting fucked up tonight!” Sonny called looking around the room. “The only question is which one of these fine lookin’ women is going home with me!”

“No one,” Josh chided. “They don’t want your ugly mug,” he grabbed Dale’s chin, giving his head a little shake. “They all want this ugly one.”

“Well I suppose since it’s his birthday and all,” Chris said, “he should get first pick.”

“Well just leave some for the rest of us losers,” Josh chuckled, before heading off to mingle.

Dale made his way into the kitchen, throwing the beer can into the trash. He pulled open his refrigerator door and scanned the contents. He hadn’t had any supper yet and had wanted to come home, shower, grab something to eat, call the hospital and go to bed. Now he had to deal with a party.

He pulled out a package of sliced turkey and looked at the date. He shrugged and tossed it on the counter, before adding cheese and mustard to the mix. As he was making his sandwich, he felt two hands caress down his back before circling around to his chest. He caught scent of Cool Water perfume and fought to silence a groan he felt building in his throat. Of all the people that Snider had to invite, he had to invite her.

“Hey baby,” Amber Hines whispered seductively in Dale’s ear, pressing her body against his back. “You wanna go upstairs and I’ll give you your present now, birthday boy?”

“No thanks,” Dale said as he moved away from her to return the mustard to the fridge. ‘Present probably includes an STD,’ he thought to himself. He knew Amber to be one of the most passed around women in the garage area. She moved from driver to driver, even through the pit crews. She definitely had a lot of miles under her.

“It’s been awhile, Dale,” she ran her fingers along the countertop. “We don’t even have to go upstairs, we can go out it right here.”

“Hasn’t been long enough,” he leaned back against the counter, crossing his legs at his ankles and bit into his sandwich, watching the fake blonde Barbie in front of him. He wasn’t drunk enough to pull a stupid stunt like inviting her into his bed again.

“I’m not wearing any panties, baby,” she moved to stand in front of him, her fingernails running over his shirt down to his jeans. “You remember how good we were together.”

Dale moved away before her ministrations could go any further south. He grabbed the pack of smokes from one of the kitchen drawers and went out onto his back deck. Pulling a stick and the lighter from the box, he quickly lit it, taking in a drag. He leaned his elbows on the railing and stared out into the darkness.

He groaned when he heard the door open, taking another long drag from the cigarette, blowing the white cloud out slowly. It was slowly calming his nerves and he swore that after this pack was done, he was quitting. Of course he said that about the last one too.

“What the hell is going on, June,” Josh came up beside him, leaning against the railing. He snatched the pack of cigarettes and helped himself to one. “I’ve known you long enough to know that something is up. You and Kelley were gone all week and you never returned any of my calls.”

Dale sighed, tapping the ashes from the end of his cigarette. Josh was one of his best friends. They had known each other damn near his entire life. He looked over at him and saw the questioning gaze. He looked back out over his yard and took a breath.

“You remember the trip we took to Telluride in ’95?”

“Ye-ah,” Josh drawled out slowly wondering why Dale would bring up a trip that was more than ten years ago. “That was a great trip, except for the fact that you spend the whole vacation shacked up with that one chick. She was hot though, what was her name again?”

“Lindsay,” Dale breathed. “Her name was Lindsay.”

Josh nodded, “Right, Lindsay. You still have a picture of all of us on your desk,” he paused taking another hit on the cigarette. “So why bring it up now?”

“I spent the week in Kentucky,” Dale stopped, giving himself a moment to think over what he was about to tell. “With Lindsay and her daughter.”

Josh narrowed his eyes and turned towards Dale. “What are you saying?”

“Her daughter is thirteen years old,” he watched as Josh’s eyebrows slanted in confusion then shot up as his eyes widened with surprise.

“But that…she….you’re…”

“She’s mine,” Dale told him. “Ashlyn is my daughter.”

“Oh fuck,” Josh ground his cigarette into the railing, leaving the butt there, before reaching to grab another one. After lighting it, he took another long drag, taking in the news. “Jesus…”

“Some fucker kidnapped her and demanded ransom, I was in Kentucky paying the ransom and trying to get her back,” he reached for the pack of cigarettes. ‘I’ll quit next pack,’ he told himself. “It ended in a car chase and she’s in the hospital, in a coma.”

“Jesus…” Josh tried to process all the information. He had expected something big, when Dale Junior was involved in something it was always big, but he would have never guessed it would be this huge. Dale Earnhardt Junior had a kid! He shook his head, “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know,” Dale shook his head. “Right now, I just want her to be okay.”

**

Grace flipped through the People magazine she had bought when she ran out to the store earlier that afternoon. Glancing at her watch she saw it was nearing the end of visiting hours. She looked towards the hospital bed, a soft sigh escaping her lips as Ashlyn’s condition had remained unchanged. The nurses’ had commented that her vitals were good and the doctors’ were happy with her prognosis. She just wished she would wake up; give them a sign that she was okay.

Her gaze moved from her granddaughter to her daughter who sat in the chair next to the bed, holding Ashlyn’s hand. She had come back from lunch with Brenda in a more relaxed mood and Grace swore she had seen a hint of a smile on Lindsay’s face. She was happy that Lindsay had a good visit with Dale’s mother. And from the small talks she had shared with the woman, concluded that Brenda was a nice woman and didn’t hold anything against the two of them for not sharing Ashlyn’s paternity. 

“Lindsay, sweetie,” she stood up from the small loveseat that sat underneath the window, stretching her body. “It’s almost time to back to the hotel.”

Lindsay looked up at the clock on the wall and sighed. The days went too fast for her liking. It seemed like she never got enough time to be with Ashlyn. There were always more stories she wanted to tell. All too soon the day was over and it was one more day Ashlyn was still asleep. 

“Well baby,” she stood up from her chair, wincing as her muscles protested and leaned over the bed. “It’s time for us to head back to the hotel for the night. I love you, Princess,” she whispered, kissing Ashlyn’s forehead. “You gotta wake up soon baby,” she leaned back, giving her hand on more squeeze and felt a gentle squeeze back, causing her to gasp.

“What is it?” Grace asked, dropping the bag, she was packing their things into and rushed to Lindsay’s side. “What’s wrong?”

“She squeezed my hand!” Lindsay exclaimed looking from her mother back to Ashlyn, “Do it again baby, squeeze my hand,” she coached her. “I know you can do it.”

“Come on, Ashlyn,” Grace pleaded. “You can do it. I know you can!”

Lindsay’s grin said it all, as she felt the feint pressure on her hand, “That’s it baby,” she felt the tears roll down her cheeks. She watched as Ashlyn’s eyes blinked a few times before finally staying open in small slits. 

“Welcome back, baby,” Lindsay cried, leaning down hugging her daughter as tightly as she could without hurting her. 

Ashlyn moved her eyes around the room, seeing her mother’s face smiling back at her. She wanted to reach out and hug her, but her arms felt so heavy, her body felt sluggish. She was so tired. She saw her grandmother leaning against Lindsay, a few tears making their way down her face. She looked past them and caught site of another woman, her eyes as well, were misted with tears. 

The voices in her head jumbled together and she tried to sort them out, but one prominent voice stood out. Her eyes scanned the room, hoping to see the owner. She closed her eyes in disappointment and wondered how much she heard was actually real and how much was made up in her head. She licked her dry, cracked lips and opened her mouth to speak as the voice she sought played over and over in her mind.

‘I’m your father.’

“Where’s daddy?” She asked before her eyes closed and she fell asleep.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

Lindsay sighed in frustration as she snapped her cell phone shut. “He’s not answering his phone.” She looked over at her daughter, who had not awakened again since last night. Brenda had run to get a nurse, and they came back with Doctor Williams who quickly checked Ashlyn’s vitals. 

“Good, real good,” he had told them going on to explain that even though she had regain consciousness, her body was still recovering and would likely take another few days for her to fully regain consciousness.

“I can’t get him either,” Brenda said, pursing her lips, wondering why her son wasn’t answering his phone when he knew they would be calling with any change with Ashlyn.

“I’m sure there is a good reason that he’s not answering,” Grace said calmly, not wanting to jump to any conclusions. She hoped that he didn’t change his mind about being apart of Ashlyn’s life once he got back to North Carolina. She didn’t think she had him pegged wrong, she prided herself in being a pretty good judge of character. And she liked Dale. 

“Like he doesn’t care? He’s back in his real world, wrapped up with his racing, beer and women that he forgot that his daughter needs him?” Lindsay snipped.

“Lindsay…” Grace sent her daughter a disapproving look.

Lindsay sighed and rubbed her hands over her face, “I’m sorry Brenda, I just…I think too much sometimes…I just…”

“I understand,” Brenda gave the woman a smile, “I’m gonna give him hell once I get a hold of him too. You can bet on it.” She opened her cell phone and furrowed her brows as she stared at the date. “Oh no…” she groaned.

“What?” 

“Yesterday was Dale’s birthday.”

“Well then I was partially right,” Lindsay shook her head. “It was beer and women. I should have known we wouldn’t fall very high on his list.”

“Lindsay,” Grace sent her daughter another look. “His mother is in the room. I raised you better than this.”

A knock on the door interrupted them and Grace gave a sigh of relief. She was embarrassed that her daughter would so openly talk bad about someone in front of their mother. Seeing one of the nurses pop her head in, she gave a smile.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but, Lindsay, there is someone here to see you,” the nurse, Allison, said with a smile. “He’s not on the list of allowed members back here, but he says he knows you. He said his name was Alex Barnes.”

Lindsay gasped before moving towards the door. When she walked into the hallway she saw Alex standing at the nurses’ station, with his arms crossed leaning on the wood. He wore a grin as he talked with a nurse behind it. She rolled her eyes and made her way towards him.

“Do not believe a single word he tells you,” she quipped sending a wink to the nurse.

“Lindsay!” Alex straightened once he saw her. Opening his arms, he engulfed her in a hug, holding her tight. He breathed in her scent, caught off guard when instead of the usual Curious perfume she wore, he smelled a mixture of strawberries and Dove. 

“Alex…” Lindsay breathed, burying her head against his chest, welcoming his strong hold. ‘These aren’t the arms you want,’ a voice taunted her and she pushed it away. Leaning back, she smiled up at him.

“You’re smiling, are you that happy to see me?” Alex’s smile matched Lindsay’s. His gaze flickered past her briefly looking for Dale and his smile grew when he didn’t appear. Knowing that today was Saturday and a race day, he had picked today to come in hopes that the driver wouldn’t have sat the race out. ‘Idiot,’ he thought, ‘leaving your daughter while you go out and race.’

“Ashlyn woke up last night,” she smiled. “She’s gonna be fine!”

“That’s awesome!” he said, swinging her around in his arms. “I was so worried. I’m sorry I didn’t get down here sooner; they wouldn’t let me off work. I had a bunch of paperwork to do.”

“Alex!” Grace walked from Ashlyn’s room and smiled when she saw the cop. As she walked up to him, he let go of Lindsay to pull her into a hug.

“Grace, you look lovely as ever,” Alex winked at the older woman. 

Grace laughed and swatted his arm, “oh you…” she blushed.

“Who is with Ashlyn? I tried to go back there, but they wouldn’t let me. I even flashed my badge and a smile.”

“Guess you’ll have to find something else to charm the ladies with then if that smile doesn’t work,” Lindsay goaded him. “Brenda Jackson, she’s Dale’s mother.”

“Ah,” Alex nodded. “He here?”

“No,” Lindsay said bitterly. “He’s in North Carolina.”

“Oh, I would have assumed he would have stayed here this weekend to be with Ash,” he shook his head, loving the fact that Dale had seemingly worked his way onto Lindsay’s bad side. 

“You would think,” Lindsay caught her mother’s pointed look and sighed. “Do you have any news? Who took Ashlyn? Did they catch him?”

Alex sighed and looked down at the ground, rubbing the back of his neck. “I do I have news, is there somewhere we can go and talk?”

“We can go to the cafeteria and grab some lunch,” Grace suggested. When they all agreed, she walked back into the room.

“We’re going to grab lunch,” she told Brenda, grabbing her pocketbook. “Do you want us to bring you something back?”

“Oh, no,” Brenda smiled. “I’ll go down and grab something when you guys get back. I’m gonna try to get a hold of Dale.”

Grace nodded and leaned over, kissing her granddaughter on the forehead, “Your Momma and I will be right back, sweetie. I love you.” She walked from the room hurrying to catch up with her daughter and Alex.

**

“Alright Alex, tell us,” Lindsay said as they gathered around a table with their lunches in front of them. “Who took Ashlyn?”

“First off,” he said, “I’m gonna tell you that we recovered the ransom money. Ashlyn pulled it from the car…” he trailed off realizing what he had been about to say. He didn’t want to give the details of the horror of that afternoon to Lindsay. It was bad enough that he dreamed about it. He cleared his throat, “Dale will be able to have it back soon.”

“I don’t care about the money, Alex, who did it?”

Alex took a deep breath, “I’m sorry Lindsay,” he saw Lindsay’s features scrunch in confusion. “It was Devon,”

“What?” Lindsay gasped, barely noticing her mother’s arm around her shoulders.

“Devon kidnapped your daughter; he was caught and taken into custody here in Tennessee. He was extradited back to Kentucky where he was brought up on…” his voice fell off when he saw that neither woman was listening. “I’m sorry Lindsay.”

“Why, oh God, why?” Lindsay cried. Devon, her boyfriend Devon, had kidnapped her daughter and tried to extort money from her. He knew she didn’t have that kind of money. “How…”

“He found a box of letters in your bedroom,” he explained, bits and pieces of the recorded interview going through his head.

‘I found the letters, every one to Dale. They all talked about her pregnancy and what she was feeling and how much she wished that he was there with her, to feel the baby kick and create the nursery. How much she wanted him in the delivery room with her.’

Lindsay closed her eyes, tears trickling down her cheeks. Her own boyfriend, the man that she loved and had in her mind that she was going to marry, had used a secret she carried against her for his own personal gain. She buried her head in her hands. 

“Its okay baby,” Grace whispered, clutching her daughter next to her. She couldn’t begin to describe the hurt and betrayal that she felt and knew what Lindsay was feeling much worse. She considered Devon as one of her own kids; he was absolutely amazing to Lindsay and loved Ashlyn like his own. How could he do this to them?

**

Brenda watched as Grace walked away wondering who the man was that had come asking for Lindsay. Pursing her lips, she reached for her phone again, dialing her son’s number. 

“Hello?” Dale mumbled into his phone, as he pressed his head further into the pillow on his bed. 

“Dale Junior, where the hell have you been!” Brenda yelled into the phone.

“Mom?” Dale blinked his eyes open staring at the clock; he groaned seeing the red numbers blaring back at him. “Fuck,” he groaned. He was supposed to be at the track in an hour. There was no way he could make it through traffic in time.

“We’ve been trying to reach you all morning! Why didn’t you answer your phone?” Brenda asked. “Did you party too hard last night?”

“No, no,” Dale shook his head as he sat up, sliding from his bed. “I’m sorry Momma. I spent most of the night talking with Josh.” He grimaced at the smell of cigarettes and alcohol that wafted through his nostrils coming off his body. He was in dire need of a shower. He’d no doubt have to wash his sheets and blankets. 

“Dale, Ashlyn woke up last night,” Brenda told him.

“What?” He stilled one hand on the blanket as he was pulling it from his bed.

“Ashlyn woke up last night right before we were leaving for the night,” she felt her eyes well with tears again as she stared at her sleeping grandchild. She was happy that she did a turnaround and the doctor’s were now giving her a prognosis of making a full recovery. 

“She…she woke up?” Dale slumped down on the edge of his bed. Ashlyn woke up. “She’s okay?” He asked, feeling a lump in his throat.

“The doctor’s are really positive now that she awoke. They say she’s expected to make a full recovery. Isn’t this wonderful!” Brenda smiled through her tears, not aware of the turmoil Dale was going through.

“Yeah…” he whispered, squeezing his eyes shut. He should have been there! He should have told Rick that he wanted to put someone else in the car – Brad maybe – and he was going back to Nashville to be at his daughter’s bedside; the place where he should have been all along. In thinking of not wanting to let anyone down, he let the one person that should have been on his mind first and foremost down – Ashlyn. 

“Sweetie?” Brenda questioned after hearing silence on the other end. She frowned and wished she could see her son’s face. “Honey, are you okay?”

“Did…Did she say anything?” 

Brenda fell silent not knowing how to answer her son’s question. She knew she should tell him what Ashlyn had said, but knew it was going hurt her son.

“Mom did she say something?” He repeated.

“Yeah, baby she did before she fell back asleep,” she whispered softly. 

“What did she say?” 

“She said, ‘where’s Daddy?’” She bit her lip hearing the sob come from the other side of the phone.

Dale slid down to the floor to his knees, a sob coming from deep in his throat. His little girl was asking for him and just like so many times in her life; he wasn’t there for her – again.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

Lindsay made her way from the cafeteria with Grace and Alex following closely behind her. Her mind was still trying to process the news that the man she had loved had betrayed her in such a manner as to kidnap her own child. He was right under her nose the whole time, planning and working out details while she slept right beside him. While he was helping Ashlyn with her algebra, he was planning on kidnapping her, just waiting on the right time.

She couldn’t believe how stupid she was. She was in love with this man, wanted to marry him. She had toyed with the idea of telling him her secret, knowing that he’d understand. But now she knew that if she would have told him, he would have used that as a way to get money. She shook her head wondering how she could have been so blind. 

“Ms. Pierce!” “Lindsay!”

Lindsay looked up hearing her name called and frowned in confusion seeing a gaggle of people rushing towards her. Her face drained thinking something had happened with her daughter but none of the people were wearing scrubs or doctors coats. She froze when a microphone was shoved in her face and flashes went off.

“Ms. Pierce, can you confirm that you are the mother of Dale Earnhardt Junior’s child?”

“Ms. Pierce, is it true that you hid your child’s paternity from Dale only telling him when you needed his money?”

“Did you ever plan on telling Dale about his daughter?”

She stared in shock at the people in front of her. She couldn’t form a thought in her mind. The media was here. Someone found out about her and Ashlyn.

“No comment,” Alex said firmly, gripping Lindsay’s forearm and ushering her and Grace passed the media frenzy and quickly up the stairs towards Ashlyn’s room. Once they stepped onto the ICU floor, he let them go to Ashlyn’s room, making his way to the nurses’ station.

“I want to know who leaked the information to the media,” he yelled, pounding his hand down on the table. 

“Sir?” the nurse gave a small jump, looking at him questioningly. 

“The media is here asking questions to Ms. Pierce about her daughter, who alerted them!”

“I don’t know, Sir, no one.” The nurse shook her head.

“You see that they do not get on this floor or anywhere near Lindsay or Grace!” He turned on his heel moving to Ashlyn’s room.

“The media knows?” Brenda questioned.

Grace nodded, “they caught us leaving the cafeteria. We’ll probably be on the news shortly.”

“How…how’d they find out?” Lindsay whispered, sitting down in a chair beside Ashlyn’s bed, taking her hand. 

“They’ve probably been on Dale’s tracks ever since he cancelled a bunch of media obligations this week,” Brenda explained. “There was no explanation offered other than for personal reasons he couldn’t attend. Everyone was tight lipped. So they started digging. Someone probably spotted him here in Nashville and at the hospital, probably even in Kentucky and they begun to put two and two together.”

“They were all over us,” Grace shook her head. She had never seen anything like that before; microphones being shoved in her and her daughter’s face, shouting questions and snapping their pictures. “I don’t think we can leave without pushing our way through them.”

“Damnit,” Brenda groaned and grabbed her cell phone immediately. “I need to let Dale know. He’ll be able to handle this. Least hopefully he won’t be blindsided when he gets to the track.”

**

Dale sat in Kyle Petty’s motor home, talking with the driver about the upcoming auction at the Convection Center in Concord this week that would benefit, The Dale Jr. Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation and Kyle’s Victory Junction Gang Camp. He had Gary Allan slated to perform after the auction at his bar, Whiskey River in Charlotte, along with Kyle himself. This was one thing on his schedule that he couldn’t clear, he needed to be there. The auction had his name on it and everything was all set to go on Monday night. To cancel now would create a loss in funds – the concert was sold out. 

“Dale, are you okay?” Kyle asked when he noticed the driver stare off.

“Yeah, I got a lot of things on my mind,” Dale shook his head trying to get himself back at the task at hand. 

“Do you need to talk about something?”

“Nah, I’m fine I just need to quit putting so much on my plate,” he shook off the older man’s worries. He glanced past the man to the muted television screen and the blood drained from his face.

“What’s wrong?” Kyle asked worriedly. This time he wasn’t taking anything but the truth for an answer. He followed the younger driver’s gaze to his television and his eyebrows shot up in surprise and reached for the remote, turning up the volume.

“Sources close to the Junior camp have confirmed that the driver’s absence from appearances last week were due to the fact that the most popular driver found out that he is the father of a thirteen year old daughter,” Marty Smith spoke into the microphone from location inside Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

Kyle glanced at Dale in question, but Dale’s eyes were glued to the television set as Marty continued talking.

“It was reported that Dale Earnhardt Junior’s child was kidnapped in the week leading up to Talladega and confirmed with reports by the Kentucky State Police and the Tennessee State Police that a car chase followed, ending with the kidnapper, Devon McAlister of Scottsville, Kentucky in custody.

“The daughter, thirteen year old Ashlyn Pierce was flown to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee in critical condition. There has been no update on her condition at this time,” he continued. “This truly is big news breaking from the Earnhardt Junior camp today. We hope to be able to get a word with Dale Junior today before the green flag flies tonight, Mike?”

No sooner than the program went to commercial, Dale’s cell phone started ringing. Glancing at the screen he saw it was his mother and answered, “How is she?”

“Still the same, Dale,” Brenda rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache coming on. Alex had been talking with the administrator trying to find out who leaked the information, but he hadn’t been able to find anything out. “It’s out Dale. People know.”

Dale sighed, “I know. I saw it on T.V. just now.”

“The media is here, they caught Lindsay and Grace in the cafeteria.”

“Fuck,” he swore, clenching his first. “Who down there told? When I find out, I’ll have their fucking job.”

“I don’t know. Alex is trying to figure out right now.

“Alex?” he gritted his teeth hearing the cop’s name. If his day already wasn’t bad enough, he finds out the cop is down there with Lindsay. 

“Yes, he’s a cop back in their hometown,” Brenda filled him in. “He’s really nice.”

“I don’t like him,” he muttered. “Damnit,” he sighed, hearing his phone beep with a text message. He pulled his phone away from his ear glancing at it.

“Dude, what the hell? Is it true?”

He ignored the text from Martin Truex Junior and brought the phone to his ear again. “Damnit,” he had been hoping to keep this quiet until he and Mike were able to draft up a press release and Ashlyn was well enough to be introduced to the public. Now that it was out, he didn’t know what to do, where to begin. 

“We’re keeping the media away from Lindsay and Ashlyn, Dale,” his mother’s voice broke in. “I’ll do my best, but you’re gonna have to think of something.”

“I gotta go mom, Mike is beeping in,” he said as his phone beeped with another call. “Call me if she wakes up again.”

“I will sweetie. I love you.”

“Love you too.” He ended the call with his mother, transferring over to his PR rep.

“We need to talk,” Mike’s voice met his hello. “I’m on my way to your coach right now.”

“I’ll be there in a few, at Petty’s right now, I’ll meet you there.” He hung up the phone. No sooner had he hung up the phone it rang again, glancing at the caller ID he noticed his sister’s name, figuring she’d keep calling, he answered her call.

“Dale…”

“I know, someone fucking leaked the information. I didn’t and once I find out who did, they are dead.”

Kelley sighed, as she watched the news reports breaking about her brother’s illegitimate child. She knew the minute her brother step out of the confines of the motor home lot; he was going to be bombarded with questions. 

“You’re message board is going crazy,” she informed him looking down at the page that was pulled up. 

“Shut it down,” he said gruffly, giving Kyle a small wave as he walked from his coach towards his own, ignoring people calling his name. “Shut the message board down, with a note saying…saying…I don’t know. Put something.”

“Alright, I’ll have Nick get on that,” Kelley said talking about the webmaster that ran Dale’s official website. “How are you?”

“I’m fucking pissed off Kelley, how do you think I am?” He stormed into his coach, seeing Mike already there. “They have already got to the hospital and were questioning Lindsay. I’m surprised fucking NASCAR Now didn’t have that footage.”

“I’ll call Lindsay and give her some advice,” Kelley told her brother. “Just calm down, we’re going to get through this.” She gave him a little more advice before ending the phone call.

“Alright, Dale,” Mike said when he hung up the phone. “Was there something that you’ve been meaning to tell me?”


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

Lindsay smiled appreciatively at Alex when he handed her the bottle of Pepsi. She twisted the cap off taking a long drink. She had tried to leave the room and get it herself, but reporters were waiting for her. Lindsay and her mother were confined to staying inside Ashlyn’s room. Brenda had decided on her own that it was best for her not to be seen. If she was identified, it would only add more fuel to the fire. 

“I think there are more of them outside,” Alex said sitting on the small sofa next to Grace. He shook his head, “I don’t know how you guys are getting out of here.”

“I’m not leaving Ashlyn,” Lindsay said firmly. “Not since she woke up. I don’t want her to wake up alone.”

“Least the administration got them from the hospital,” Grace said. “But they’ve taken up camp outside the hospital doors.”

“This is ridiculous, why don’t you just go down there and tell them the truth,” Alex broke in. “Once they have what they want they’ll leave you alone.”

Brenda shook her head, “No,” she stared at the cop. “That will not work; they will continue to ask questions, they’ll want more and more. They will never be satisfied. We are not going to say anything until we hear from Dale or Mike.”

“You’re only doing what’s best for your son, I’m trying to think of what’s best for Lindsay and Ashlyn,” he told her. “They don’t need to be stalked like some prey, where money grubbing reporters are trying to make a quick buck.”

“And I’m telling you,” Brenda turned cold eyes on Alex. “We are not talking to the media. I am trying not only to protect my son, but my granddaughter as well. You don’t not want to give the media any more to go on. I know how they are; I’ve seen what they do to people in this sport.”

“Well he should have told them last week when this happened, by now it would have been old news and we’d be able to come and go freely from the hospital.”

Brenda’s eyes furrowed and she clenched her jaw, trying to control her anger. She wondered where his brain was if he thought going to the media was the best thing to do. She took a deep breath, “You’re a cop, I know you deal with media, but you don’t deal with them all the time and you know what a mess they can create and how they can ruin cases—”

“That’s not the same.”

“It is too; media can ruin cases, they can also ruin reputation when they don’t get all the facts,” she told him. “Not only is Dale’s on the line, but Lindsay’s and Ashlyn’s as well. In case you’re forgotten, Lindsay is not the innocent one. You go out there and tell them that she kept Ashlyn from her father, you aren’t going to tarnish Dale’s image or reputation; you’re going to open the can of worms on her.”

Alex fell silent as Brenda’s words settled on his mind. The older woman was right; the media was going to attack Lindsay for not telling Dale about his kid. She was going to be raked over the coals and her name was gonna be dragged through mud. He sighed and slumped back in the sofa. 

“Trust me; Dale knows what he’s doing. And if not, that’s what his PR reps are for. They are trained to handle stuff like this.

**

“Jesus Christ Dale,” Mike paced back and forth in front of the couch in Dale’s coach, his mind working double time as he tried to sort out the story his boss had just told him. “At anytime in the past two weeks, did it ever cross you mind to tell me any of this?”

“Heh, yeah…a few times,” Dale leaned his head back against the cushions of his couch, closing his eyes. His phone kept ringing and beeping with incoming calls and text. He finally had to turn it off. He had been unable to get through a sentence of his story with Mike without the device going off. He just hoped that his mom or Lindsay didn’t call during the time it was off. 

“I don’t get paid enough for the bullshit you put me through,” Mike told him. “You realize you won’t be able to step out of your coach without a microphone shoved in your face and a thousand questions.”

“Just handle it, Mike.”

“I would if you would have told me about this to begin with! We could have worked something out to release ourselves or have something incase this happened. I could have been prepared for this. People are gonna want to know Dale. There is no ‘making this go away’; you’re gonna have to say something. 

“You may have been able to deflect everything up until now, but once Marty broke that story, it’s out, we have to face it. We’re gonna have to do a press conference. If you give me fifteen minutes, I can have it all set up to do within the hour before the driver’s meeting.”

Dale shook his head, “No, we ain’t doing no press conference.”

“Why not? You want me to release a statement?” He waited for Dale to answer but received none; he sighed and took a seat on the opposite couch. “The cat’s out of the bag now, Dale. You’re either gonna have to confirm this or deny it. And by what you’ve just told me, it’s true.”

“I know,” he sighed, rubbing her hands over his face and back through his hair. This isn’t how he wanted things to go. He wanted to be able to call the shots. He wanted to have Ashlyn by his side when he introduced her to the racing world as his daughter. He wanted a confirmation that she was going to be okay.

He leaned up, snatching his phone from the table, turning it on. He cringed seeing the number of missed calls and alerts he had. Ignoring them all he pressed the number he had programmed Lindsay’s number to on his speed dial, “Just let me call Lindsay first,” he told Mike as he listened to the ringing on the other end.

“Hello?”

“Hey, how’s it going?” He asked.

Lindsay sighed, looking back and forth between Brenda and Alex, happy that they’d quit arguing. “I can’t leave the room, Dale. There are reporters all over. The hospital finally kicked them out, but Alex said they are all guarding the doors, waiting for one of us to leave.”

“I’m sorry Linds,” he sighed rubbing his eyes, wishing there was something they could do. “I’m gonna find out who leaked it.”

“The hospital swears up and down no one here leaked anything. Alex talked to everyone.”

Dale gritted his teeth at the second mention of the cop. He wished Alex was back in Kentucky where he belonged. He had no reason being in his daughter’s room. “Well I will find out,” he said putting emphasis on the ‘I’. He was going to make whoever did this pay. “If it makes you feel any better, I can’t leave my coach either.”

“You’re not the one who is going to get crucified,” Lindsay pointed out, thinking back to Brenda’s words from earlier. “I’m the one who didn’t let you know about Ashlyn. You’re the innocent one.”

Dale closed his eyes, knowing Lindsay’s words rang true. It was part of the reason he was hesitant to make an announcement. He knew that the media and his fans were going to jump on her for not telling him about his daughter. To make matters worse, she only told him about her when she needed his help – his money in actuality. 

“Mike is here right now,” he said after a moment of silence. “I need to do something about this right now.”

“Do what you want Dale, you don’t need to bring anything through me.”

“Yes I do, this is our daughter,” he said firmly. “I’m not going to do anything that concerns her without talking it over with you. Right now, you’re the only parent she knows. I don’t want to screw this up.”

Lindsay chewed her bottom lip,” You’re not going to screw anything up. You’re gonna do just fine.”

Dale felt a small smile tug at his lips, “Thanks for the vote of confidence.” He looked over at Mike, who signaled his watch. They didn’t have time for him to chit chat; they needed to get things straightened out before the driver’s meeting. “Is it okay if we do a press conference officially announcing Ashlyn as my daughter?”

Lindsay grew silent as the weight of his question fell to her ears; the seriousness of the media outside the hospital hitting her. Once the announcement was made, it would be forever out that Ashlyn was Dale’s daughter. Her life would be forever changed once he uttered those words. There was no going back from here. She nodded her head, “Yes Dale, you can make the announcement. Even though you don’t need it, you have my backing and support.”

“But I want it,” he told her quietly. 

“You have it,” she said, feeling a lump rise in her throat and she looked at her daughter, wishing she was awake when Dale made the announcement. She wished she could see the smile on her daughter’s face to know that she had a father. 

“How is she?”

“She’s still the same, she hasn’t regained consciousness again. But the doctor said that coma patients tend to be awake only for a few minutes for the first few days until it gradually increases as they fully recover. Her vitals are looking real good; we just have to wait until she wakes up.”

He smiled, hoping that she would wait until he was there until she woke up again. He wanted to be able to look her in the eyes and personally say that he was her father and then apologize for not being there.

“Is it gonna be televised?”

Lindsay’s question broke Dale from his thoughts, “Is what gonna be televised?”

“The press conference?”

“Oh, right,” he shook his head, trying to get back on track. “I’m not sure. It more than likely will be, considering the magnitude of the news.”

“I don’t see how it’s big news to have your own press conference about, but okay,” she said, glancing up at the television mounted on the wall in Ashlyn’s room. It was currently on the Home and Garden Network, where ‘Design on A Dime’ was airing. “What channel would it be on?”

“Speed more than likely, I don’t know for sure. You can’t go wrong with that channel.”

“Okay, we’ll turn it on.”

“Thank you,” it made him feel better knowing that they were going to be watching the conference. He still had no idea what he was going to say. He saw Mike furiously typing on his PDA, which he figured was probably a press release to go along with the conference. “Your name is going to be released, are you okay with that?”

She slowly nodded, “I’m okay with that. What else is going to be released?”

“Mike is coming up with a statement right now, I’m gonna read it before I let him post it, but I’m not going to be releasing any personal information,” he explained. “Basically it’s gonna state that I have a daughter that I recently found out about. My feelings about it. I’ll talk a little about her accident and how she’s doing. The press release will basically reiterate what I say at the conference.”

“This won’t make the reporters go away will it?” 

“No,” Dale sighed. “I’m sorry. It won’t. They’re gonna hang out trying to get every possible piece of information. They won’t leave until there is a bigger story.”

“Damn,” Lindsay sighed. She had hoped that once Dale made the announcement, the reporters would leave. She knew it the back of her mind, it wouldn’t be that simple. “I’m not gonna have to talk to them am I?”

“No, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” he told her. “In fact, it would be easier that you don’t say anything to them, until me and Mike get down there.”

“Good, I don’t want to talk to them anyway,” Lindsay sighed. “Dale?” She bit her lip, thinking of the next thing she was going to say, wondering how he was going to take it.

“Yeah?”

“Are there gonna be questions at your press conference?”

“Probably a few, I’m not gonna have a full blown one. Just enough to confirm the reports.”

“Then they’ll probably ask you about who did this…” 

Dale frowned and he thought back to the report that was given on NASCAR Now. “They caught the guy…” he grew silent as the name ran through his brain. He couldn’t help but feel as if he should know something.

“Yea they did…” she whispered.

He replayed the report in his head and stilled as the name finally popped into his mind. Devon McAllister. “Lindsay…” he questioned, remembering that Lindsay’s boyfriend was named Devon.

“I’m sorry Dale,” she felt tears prick in the corner of her eyes and blinked them back. “I didn’t know. I-I’m sorry…” she felt her mother wrap a comforting arm around her.

“It’s okay Lindsay,” she whispered. “He fooled everyone.”

He clenched his jaw in anger. How could she have left her boyfriend kidnap her daughter? He heard Grace’s voice through the receiver and clenched his eyes shut. He didn’t want to upset anyone and took a deep breath. They definitely had a lot to talk about when he got back to Nashville. 

“It’s alright Lindsay,” he told her, hearing her sniffles over the phone. He wished he could pull her into his arms and hold her against him until her tears dried. His blood boiled thinking of Alex doing the same. “It’s not your fault.”

“It is,” she whispered, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. “I’m sorry Dale.”

“Stop apologizing,” he told her, he noticed Mike staring at him and he knew that he had to hang up. “Listen Linds, I have to go now and do this. I probably won’t have time to call before the race, but I’m flying down there right after.”

“I’m staying at the hospital, I don’t want her to wake up and be alone,” she told him.

Dale nodded, agreeing with the idea. “I’ll come straight there. I’ll call when I’m on my way, okay?”

“Okay,” Lindsay grew silent. “Good luck and be safe. We’ll be watching.”

Dale smiled into the phone, “I will.” He said goodbye before hanging up the phone, turning to Mike. “Let’s do this.”


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty Seven

Dale watched as his team flooded into the hauler. It was growing crowded, but he wanted to talk to them first before having the conference. He felt they deserved to hear it from him. He saw Rick walking in, in front of his teammates: Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Casey Mears and was glad that his boss remembered to snatch the drivers up as well.

He saw everyone staring at him expectantly waiting for him to begin. His gaze flickered over every face of his team, trying to read any and every emotion their eyes might be telling him. He saw confusion on most, a few had sympathy, and others had disbelief. He could tell most didn’t know what to believe, but knew the answer was soon forthcoming.

He cleared his throat and the murmurs ceased and a couple dozen pair of eyes turned towards him. For the first time, he felt nervous speaking in front of his team. These were his guys, his buddies. He cared about what they thought. He could give two shits what the media thought of him. They’d turn the facts to suit their needs, to stir the pot to sell their stories and make a buck. They’d do anything to get their two cents in. 

It was one of the main reasons why he called the team meeting. He wanted his guys to hear this from him. After all the work and bullshit from him they put up with all season, they deserved nothing less than to hear the facts straight from his mouth. 

“I have a press conference slated in a few, but I wanted to tell you all first,” he started, his eyes wandering around the room. “I felt that you guys all deserve to hear it from me, especially with all the shit you put up with dealing with me,” he heard a few chuckles and saw a few nod in agreement. He knew they put up with a lot of shit, his cousin, Tony Eury Junior especially. He was the one on the team that took the most flack for his less than stellar performances. No matter what Dale said, everyone always jumped on Tony’s back. He wished they’d release everything on him, he could take it all. He hated seeing everyone riding Tony. 

“It’s true,” he stated. “The report that Marty released was true,” he stopped hearing murmurs. His gaze caught his teammates and he could tell they were shocked. Jimmie’s eyes were widened in surprise, Jeff’s eyebrows were wrinkled with confusion and Casey’s jaw was slackened in shock. 

“I found out the week leading up to Talladega about Ashlyn when her mother, Lindsay, contacted me. Ashlyn was kidnapped and he was demanding a million in ransom for her return, which was why my appearances leading up to this race were all cancelled. I’ve been in Kentucky, trying to get my daughter back.

“The drop off didn’t go as planned and he got away with Ashlyn,” he paused still remembering the look on Ashlyn’s face with the gun pressed to her temple. “During the car chase, he pushed Ashlyn from the car,” he continued on amidst the gasps. “She is in Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville like the report said. Lindsay, her mother and my mom are all there with her. She still in critical condition in a coma, but she woke up for a few minutes last night. The doctors are saying the prognosis is good and should fully regain consciousness within the next couple days.”

He watched as his team swallowed the information. He could tell there were still questions floating around, but no one voiced them. 

“Lindsay’s not a pit lizard,” he told them, knowing that most of the guys were thinking he had knocked up one of the bimbos that get passed around, hoping to trap a driver. “I doubt she knows much more about NASCAR than Matt,” he smirked seeing his rear tire carrier, who was in his first year, give him the finger, arising chuckles. “Ashlyn is thirteen years old and I’m told has a stubborn streak…”

“God help us,” Tony mumbled, shaking his head. “Just what we need, another hard headed Earnhardt.”

“Shut the fuck up,” his grin was slow as his cousin’s remark registered in his brain. ‘Another Earnhardt,’ he thought his grin stretching. It never really hit him until now that his legacy had been passed down. There was someone else on this earth that was carrying his genes. His grin broadened. 

“Is she hot?” 

Dale frowned looking for the voice, falling on his friend and spotter, T.J. Majors who wore a smirk. “My daughter? Are you kidding me…look at this face.”

“Shit…” T.J. laughed. “Hopefully the kid looks like her mother, if not…poor thing.”

Dale reached into the pocket of his jeans, pulling out his wallet. He pulled the most recent picture that had been in the box, the fall photo from school and handed it to T.J.

“I was right…” T.J. drawled. “Looks like her mother, ain’t no way this came from you.”

Dale rolled his eyes, “Get the fuck back to work, dick. Before I fire your ass,” he watched his team begin to file out of the hauler and shook his head. Talking with them had sure put him in a good mood. It had been one of the best moods he’d been in since everything had started.

“So,” T.J. asked hanging back. “The mother…she hot?”

“You wouldn’t get a second look, dipshit,” he smirked, slapping his spotter’s back, shoving him towards the front of the hauler. It was then he noticed his teammates and Rick were still in the hauler. “Go do something productive…earn your keep,” he yelled at T.J. chuckling when he got the finger before he slipped from the hauler.

“Ashlyn woke up?” Rick questioned first.

“Yeah, last night…” Dale nodded. “What a birthday.”

Rick frowned looking at the driver, trying to read his expression. “You regretting the decision to stay here and race instead of going back to Nashville?”

He sighed seeing his teammates send him questioning looks. He should have informed people of what was going on instead of trying to keep it a secret. ‘Not that that worked,’ he thought. “I was this morning when I heard about it. She woke and asked for me.”

Rick raised his head in understanding as he thought about how rough that to have been for the younger man when his daughter woke up and asked for him. “She knew you had been there?”

Dale shrugged. “I guess so, I don’t know. The doctor said she could hear us talking to her. I don’t know if she heard me or just remembers seeing me during the drop off. I’m not sure. Guess I won’t know until I go back and she wakes up again.” He looked at his teammates who had yet to say anything. “Surprised?”

“To say the least,” Jeff shook his head. 

“Yeah, surprised is one of them,” Jimmie said. “Along with shock, confusion, stunned.”

“Definitely didn’t see this coming,” Casey spoke up. “I saw the news and thought it was just another story.”

“Well I didn’t want it to come out this way,” Dale still felt anger over the fact that the information had been leaked and he was still set on finding out the culprit. “I was going to wait until Ashlyn was awake and I was actually able to tell her myself.”

“She doesn’t know?” Jeff questioned.

Dale shook his head, “Lindsay never told her. I think she does now since she saw me during the drop off, but that probably just made her have a bunch of questions. I was hoping to tell her before making a press release.”

“Damn,” Jimmie shook his head. “Well, if you need anything me and Chani are here.”

“Yeah, us too,” Jeff said, speaking of he and his wife, Ingrid. 

“I’m here too, even after the season,” Casey said. He was slated to depart from Hendrick Motorsports and the five car at season’s end and was taking over the number zero seven car at Richard Childress Racing in 2009. 

“You have enough on your plate with Sam,” Dale smiled, showing his appreciation, speaking of Casey’s four day old baby daughter.

“But I’m still here,” Casey reiterated. “If you call at diaper time, even better.”

The guys laughed as they made their way to the front of the hauler. “Thanks guys,” he told his teammates. “I appreciate it.”

“Good luck,” Jimmie told him, patting his shoulder. “You’re gonna need it. It’s a zoo out there.”

“Really know how to stir shit up, don’t ya,” Casey said.

“Why do shit half assed?” Dale smirked. “Might as well go all out.”

“Ready to go?” Mike asked as he stepped into the hauler after setting up the press conference.

“I can hear the hearts breaking all over the country,” Jeff laughed. “As the most eligible bachelor announces there is a special lady in his life.” 

“Good luck man,” Jimmie chuckled as the teammates parted ways.

“Let’s go,” Dale said as he and Mike jumped on the waiting golf cart that would take them to the media center where he would announce his daughter to the world.

**

Lindsay flipped through the channels in search of Speed channel. She had just received a text from Dale stating that the press conference was going to start in a few minutes. She felt butterflies stir and placed a hand over her stomach. She didn’t know why she was nervous; she wasn’t the one getting in front of reporters and taking into cameras. 

“Are you okay?” Alex asked, looking over at Lindsay. She had been quiet after getting off the phone with Dale. He had tried to get her to talk, but to no avail. He listened to her as she cried and apologized to the racer. It had made him want to take the phone away from her and hang up. ‘He had no right making Lindsay cry,’ he thought.

“Just a little nervous,” she said, finding the correct channel and turned the volume up a little bit. “It’s crazy; I don’t know why I’m nervous.”

“Because it’s all about to become real,” Grace took her daughter’s hand and gave her a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry; this is the right thing to do.”

“I know Momma,” Lindsay fixed her gaze on the television as it changed from an outside set surrounded by fans, to and inside scene. The camera paned on a table of three people and she only recognized Dale in the middle.

“The guy on the left is Dale’s boss, Rick Hendrick,” Brenda filled her in. “He owns the car that Dale drives. The other one is his PR rep, Mike Holland.”

The hospital room grew quiet as Lindsay and her other companions settled in their chairs and tuned their ears in as the conference began.

“We are here to address a report that broke on NASCAR Now,” Mike started. “There will be minimum questions afterwards due to Dale’s schedule and the race coming up. An official press release will be released on Monday. If the questions stream too personal, they will not be answered,” He nodded towards Dale.

Dale cleared his throat and looked out to the reporters gathered around; recorders in their hands, some had a pen poised over a notebook ready to scribble his quotes while others had laptops on their laps, fingers splayed across the keys ready to type. The flashes went off and he saw the red light on the camera, alerting him that he was on the air. 

‘We’ll be watching,’ Lindsay’s voice ran through his head and he sighed wondering why this was so hard. He’d given worse press conferences than this.

“The report that broke on NASCAR Now by Marty Smith is true,” he paused while hushed whispers rippled through the crowd as the confirmation that he in fact had fathered a child. “My daughter Ashlyn is thirteen years old and lives with her mother, Lindsay. She was kidnapped last week and held for ransom. While being held, the kidnapper pushed her from his car. She is in the hospital, still in critical condition.

“She awoke last night for the first time, since being transported, for a few minutes. The doctors are now offering a good prognosis and suspect that she’ll make a full recovery.”

He paused in his speech, watching as the reporters’ type furiously across their papers. He briefly wondered if they would be able to read anything that they’d wrote. He imagined their writing at the moment wasn’t all that legible. He chuckled softly thinking of the ones typing but looking directly at him and imagined how pissed off they’d be if their fingers were on the wrong keys and they typed nothing but gibberish. 

“I’m asking at this time to give my family, streaming to Lindsay and her extended family, the respect and courtesy as we deal with getting our daughter back to 100 percent. And not to ask questions while we are at the hospital. Our main goal there is to make sure Ashlyn gets the best care possible and gets better fast.”

He nodded towards Mike, signaling he was done and sighed as Mike addressed the group that he was opening the floor for questions. Seeing hands shoot up, he bit back a groan, knowing that every reporter had at least two questions, more than likely more. Of course, he also knew, they probably had the same questions.

“Does Ashlyn know that you are her father?”

“Yes,” Dale nodded. He didn’t want to go into account that she may not know he was. It would bring added questions he didn’t want. He in his heart, he knew that she knew he was her father. She knew that he had been there, talking to her since she had asked for him.

“Are you sure Ashlyn is your daughter?”

“Yes.” He didn’t need a paternity test to prove that Ashlyn was his daughter. He knew the minute he looked at the little girl in the photographs that she was a part of him. She had yet to speak to him, but already felt an emotional connection with her.

“Do you hold anything against Lindsay for not telling you about Ashlyn?”

“No,” Dale shook his head. “She had her reasons and did what she thought was best at the time and for the circumstances. I regret not being there for her and Ashlyn, but I don’t blame Lindsay for anything.”

“What’s your mother think of a new grandchild?”

“She’s happy about it,” Dale said. “Caught off guard at first, but she took it in stride and is thrilled to have another granddaughter. She’s looking forward to spoiling one more. Maybe one of these days, me or Kelley will give her a grandson.” He smirked imaging the look on Kelley’s face and could see her reaching for her cell phone to light up his voicemail.

“The reports say the kidnapper was caught,” a reporter started. “What do you think the punishment should be?”

“I think he should go to jail for a very long time, he’s in a load of shit right now,” he shrugged. “I don’t know…the court system will figure it out. The important thing is that we got Ashlyn back and he was caught. He’ll get what’s coming to him.”

“How much was the ransom and was the money recovered? Were you involved in the dropped off?”

“A million and I’m not sure. Yes I was.” He saw his ending answer bringing more questions and could imagine the gears in every reporters head turning furiously as they wondered just what his part was. “I can not comment on the drop off or anything leading up to or following.”

“Will we be seeing Ashlyn at the track soon?”

“Depends on her recovery, but I’m hoping to bring her next season.”

“What would your father say if he were alive?”

Dale bit his lip, staring out to the crowd. He couldn’t see the reporter but his voice sounded familiar and he knew he was one that liked to try to stir things up. He saw Mike getting ready to deflect the question but he shook his head, “I’ll answer it. He’ll be proud of me for standing up and taking responsibility and taking care of my daughter, no matter what the circumstances are or were.”

He nodded at Mike and the three men stood up and started for the exit of the building. He was glad the press conference was over; it was a weight off his shoulder. All he had to do now was get through the race and then he could get back to his daughter.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty Eight

“Ya got me TJ?” Dale radioed once he had strapped into his car doing a radio check to make sure his spotter heard him.

“Yeah, ya got me Tony Junior?” TJ radioed down to the pits from high atop the grandstands on the front stretch. He watched the workers quickly tear down the stage that had held Jessica Simpson a few minutes ago. 

“Yeah, I got ya,” Tony Junior replied.

“You think Jessica will bring us good luck?” TJ asked. He had noticed she wore a Dale Junior jacket over her black outfit to sing the National Anthem.

“Shit, she didn’t bring Romo any luck,” Tony grunted. It was well known that he was an avid football fan, as were most of the guys on the team were, but he was a big Dallas Cowboys and Tony Romo fan.

“Heh, yeah,” Dale chuckled over the radio. “Well JR Nation will probably be more pissed off. Lot more of them than Dallas fans,” he quipped, an avid Redskins fan himself. The Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys weren’t by any means considered big rivalries, they still played in the same division and bragging rights were always on the line. 

“We’re ‘America’s Team’, what have your ‘Skins done lately?”

“Heh, we beat your ‘Boys a couple weeks ago. How’s about that for doin’ something?”

“So are we gonna race or talk football all night?” TJ radioed shaking his head. 

“I can do both,” Dale said as he pulled on his white Adidas® racing gloves.

“We’ll see who makes the playoffs.”

Dale keyed his radio but just chuckled. He knocked fists with his rear tire changer, D.J. Richardson when he stuck his fist around the window net. D.J. had made sure his window net was securely fastened. 

“Alright, fire ‘em up,” TJ called.

Dale flipped the switches on the dashboard, firing the engine of his Amp Energy Chevrolet. He could feel his blood start to race and heard his heart pounding in his ears as the car vibrated beneath him. The radio was quiet as the guys got ready for the start of the race.

“Got a copy, Dale Junior?” Rick’s voice came over the radio.

“10-4.”

“You guys were fast in practice and have a good car this weekend. Keep up with the track changes through the night and you’ll be there at the end. Watch your speed on pit road and don’t make mistakes. We don’t need to beat ourselves. Be patient and calm, this is a long race,” he told his driving knowing that Dale was antsy to get the race over with so he could get back to Tennessee. Since that was the case, he needed to be reminded to be patient. If he started up on the wheel, that would mean disaster for the race team.

“10-4.”

“Alright,” TJ broke in. “The pace car is pulling away. Your pit stall is ten past the start finish line. I’ll count you down as we go by.” 

Dale followed his teammate Jeff Gordon down pit road. He was lined up on the outside of one of his friends, Matt Kenseth with Toyota driver, Denny Hamlin behind him. The double line of cars staggered a bit as the drivers took off at different speeds. As TJ counted down to his pit stall, he stuck his hand out the window, waving to his guys who were standing in his pits with their hands stretched out, giving him a thumbs up.

“You comfy up there, Tony Junior?” He asked as he pulled up on the track, weaving his car back and forth trying to warm up his tires. 

“Yeah, got me a Sun Drop and a Big ‘Mo candy bar sitting up here. Check your RPMs, that’s pit road speed there.”

“4500 hundred,” Dale grinned behind his helmet. “Well you sit up there and relax, I’ll do all the work.”

“10-4.”

“Alright, coming to the green,” TJ broke in again. “Get ready…Get ready….Green flag. Green flag.”

**

Lindsay watched the green flag drop and the sound of 43 cars jumping on the throttle filled the hospital room. She was nervous as she watched them arc into turn one side by side. It was the first time she had watched a NASCAR race, unable to make herself turn it on knowing that she’d see Dale. His name had littered the sports page in the hometown paper too often and she had grown accustomed to skipping the section. Some days it had even hurt to see his name in print; she couldn’t face seeing his face on her television screen. 

“Never watch a race before?” Brenda questioned, sensing her nervousness.

Lindsay shook her head, “No…” she gasped seeing the number 24 car brush the wall in front of Dale. She held her breath as the flamed car kept on going and the drivers acting as though nothing had happened. She shook her head wondering how she was going to get through the race. Her heart was already beating wildly and her stomach was doing somersaults and it was only going on lap five.

“We’re in some trouble…” a radio transmission came over the broadcast and Lindsay assumed it was from the car that had just hit the wall.

“Significant tire rub coming from Jeff Gordon’s car,” the announcer was saying. Lindsay saw the names briefly at the beginning of the telecast, but wasn’t able to distinguish who was who. She saw the replay of Jeff’s car bouncing of the wall and wondered how the damage wasn’t worse.

“He’s gonna have to come in and get that checked out, that’s not good. It’s rubbing too much on the front. Rather get it fixed then a couple laps later it blows going into turn four and hitting the wall.”

“And it looks like the 24 is heading to pit road for an unscheduled pit stop,” the telecast split the screen, showing a battle on the race track and the pit stop of Jeff Gordon. “That will put Jeff a lap down, definitely not how they expected the night to start out.”

She watched as the announcers continued talking, but she couldn’t keep up with what they were talking about and settled on watching the cars circle on track, keeping her ears open for any mention of Dale or the 88 car. She smiled when they broke for commercial and saw Dale’s picture in the fifth place spot. 

“You get the hang of the basics pretty quickly,” Brenda explained. “It may not look as exciting on TV, but when you experience your first race live, you’re hooked.”

“I don’t know about that,” Lindsay stated as her eyes drifted back towards the telecast as they came back from commercial.

“Loose Tony Junior!” Dale came over the radio as his car began to slide around.

“We can add some bite next time around and see if that will help,” Tony radioed.

“Bite would be okay, but I’d be bitchin’ after 25 laps. I have no ability to turn! I’m losing my fricken’ mind!”

“We went up on air pressure last time around. Did that help ya any?”

“You don’t see my ass passin’ anyone do ya?”

Dale struggled with his race car as the night wore on. He went from loose to tight as the track changed and the air got cooler. They needed to get on top of the track changing or else he wasn’t going to be a legitimate contender at the end. They needed a good finish here, he had already dropped in points, and they couldn’t afford to come out of Charlotte with a bad run. He needed a good run; his team needed a good run. 

“Alright, June,” Tony Junior radioed. “We’re gonna be coming in, in two laps.”

“Free me up, I’m struggling out here,” he radioed back.

“10-4.”

Lindsay sighed as she watched the camera follow the orange Home Depot car around. Nothing exciting was happening, she heard announcers talking about upcoming pit stops and they panned from Tony Stewart’s car back to the same flamed car that had hit the wall in the beginning. She watched the replay and tuned them out, watching the scroll across the top, looking for Dale’s name.

“Trouble here…car in the wall…” the words perked her up and she saw the white car with an orange hood and frowned. “It is Dale Earnhardt Junior…he has hit it a ton.”

Lindsay gasped as she watched the car ride the wall, tearing up the right side. The camera jumped to the camera inside the car staring out of the windshield and she got the same view as Dale was getting at the moment.

“Unbelievable, pitting in one lap,” the radio transmission came over the television. She knew the voice wasn’t Dale’s, but she didn’t know who it belonged too, assumed it was a member of his pit crew.

“He’s alright, Lindsay,” Brenda said as she saw her son put his window net down. “That signals the medical crew that he’s okay,” she explained.

“Why is it taking him so long to get out?” Lindsay asked worried. She didn’t believe he was okay. He just hit a wall going close to 200 mph. ‘How could anyone be okay?’

Brenda smiled softly over Lindsay’s worried nature, “Honey, he’s got to get his helmet and all his belts off. He’s moving around inside though.”

Lindsay watched the replay, her heart jumping when she heard his voice come over the radio.

‘Its uh tight…running about 60% mark going into the corner…right about…’ his voice cut off when the car went into the wall. ‘Flat tire…’ 

Lindsay wrung her hands together wishing that Dale would just pull the car from the wall.

‘Stay high, stay high there. Stay high. Stay high there, got a lot of cars coming here. Stay high, stay high there. I’ll get you down as soon as I get a hole there.’

‘Unbelievable, pitting in one lap.’

She breathed a sigh of relief when the screen went back to live footage and Dale was out of the car and walking, helmet in hand. She saw him bending over looking at the damage before the medic started ushering him across the track to where an ambulance had pulled up. 

“How can you watch this, watch him wreck like that?” Lindsay breathed, her eyes glued to the screen even after the camera panned towards pit road as the cars came down for their pit stops. 

“I’d like to say you get used to it, but you never do. I don’t like watching him wreck, but it comes with the job. I used to be worried about it, but he’s been doing it for so many years…”

“I would be a nervous wreck every time he strapped in,” Grace said softly. “There is a bright side,” she told her daughter and seeing her questioning gaze she smiled. “He’ll be here sooner.”

Lindsay looked back at her sleeping daughter, missing Alex’s eye roll. She didn’t think of him wrecking had any positive outcome, but it did mean that he would be back sooner. He would probably be on his way back within the hour and be walking in Ashlyn’s room a lot sooner than expected. She couldn’t help the butterflies in her stomach at the thought.

“I don’t think he’s done for the night,” Brenda shook her head. “They’ll fix his car and get him back out there. He has to get as many points as he can for this race in the championship.”

“They can fix that?” Lindsay asked surprised. The right side of his car was all torn up; she wouldn’t think any one would be able to make repairs. She figured they’d just call it a night. It’s not like he could win.

Brenda nodded, “They can fix a lot of things and get back out there that you wouldn’t believe they could.” She glanced up hearing Dale mentioned and pointed towards the screen. “They’re going to interview him; you’ll see that he’s fine.”

“Yeah, Dale Earnhardt Junior running sixth when that tire damaged. Junior can you tell me what you felt inside the car when that tire failed?”

“Pow,” he said with a slight smirk. “And then it went into the wall,” he motioned with his hand, chuckling. “Bout like every other tire that blows.”

“Was there any indication leading up the failure that something was going wrong?” The female reporter, Shannon Spake asked.

Dale shook his head. “I’d have let off,” he chuckled. “Hell no, I would have slowed down if I knew the tire was gonna blow like that.”

“Can you just describe the racing out there tonight?” Shannon’s question was drowned out as the race restarted causing Dale to lean closer to her. “Can you just describe the racing out there tonight? That the tire failure maybe an indication of the type of racing we’re seeing out there?”

Dale plugged an ear and leaned closer to her trying to hear her question. “Do what?”

Shannon leaned closer, placing her hand on Dale’s back as she asked her question again. Lindsay felt a twinge of jealousy course through her catching the movement. “Can you just describe the type of racing out there tonight? Was there… was it…the battling that might have lead to this tire failure?”

“No I was riding. Taking it way way easy. Looked like everyone else was too. It’s a long race. Kinda riding around waiting til the end.”

“Alright, Dale Earnhardt Junior released from the infield medical center…”


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty Nine

Dale climbed aboard his plane, tossing the bag he had packed before he had left his house that morning in the seat next to him. He gave a sigh leaning his head back, closing his eyes. He ended up finishing thirty sixth, forty five laps down. It was definitely the day that he and his team didn’t need. He still managed to stay in tenth place in the Cup standings, but had fallen another hundred points from the lead.

He reached into his bag, pulling out his iPod, slipping the buds into his ears. As Seether’s, ‘Rise Above This’ blared into his ears he thought about the race, trying to figure out if there something that he could have done differently. They had been chasing the car, starting off loose and as the night progressed it had gotten tight. But they had a good car and he had a good feeling going into the night that they’d have a good night, a top five at least. 

He knew a championship was out of his grasps. His team knew it too. After having the bad weeks that he had and Jimmie steadying at the top, he was now fighting for a spot on the stage during the championship banquet. This was supposed to the year that he’d break out. 

Just like every other team going into a new season, he had his sights set on hoisting the championship trophy at the end of the year in Homestead. He had finally had the equipment and team under him to truly prove his talents. Breaking out from his father’s team and name was his chance. 

But here he sat race number thirty one, the season over in five weeks, no better than he had been in previous years. He had expected a handful of wins, but had only graced victory lane once. The team should have been vying for wins every weekend. They had accomplished once of their goals and made the chase, but they were never serious contenders. Two bad weeks and they were shuffled back in the standings, struggling to stay in the top ten. 

His iPod shuffled to REM’s “Man on the Moon” and he opened his eyes, staring out the window into the dark sky. He pushed the racing thoughts aside, there was nothing he could do except, go to Martinsville and try to win. His thoughts and energy right now needed to be focused on his daughter.

Closing his eyes, he settled back, hoping to catch an hour of sleep before they landed in Nashville. Worn out from the race, he didn’t know how much sleep he was going to get tonight. Once he landed in Nashville, he was going straight to the hospital. Lindsay has told him that she was staying in the room not wanting Ashlyn to wake up alone. He didn’t want to miss her waking up again.

**

Dale made his way onto the ICU floor, glad that visiting hours were over and all he saw were staff. When he saw the reporters outside the hospital doors he had called hospital security and they had escorted him through one of the back entrances. He should have known the media would camp out in front of the doors expecting this would be where he would come after the race.

He stopped in front of Ashlyn’s room, his duffel bag slung over his shoulder. Not wanting to waste minutes or wake his mother and Grace up, he didn’t drop his stuff at the hotel. He figured he’d spend more of his time at the hospital than in the hotel room anyway. He pushed the door open slowly before walking inside, catching the door so he could latch it softly when he saw the soft lit room.

When the door was latched, he turned around he gave a sigh of relief when he noticed that Alex wasn’t in the room. During the plane ride he was plagued with thoughts of walking into his daughter’s room finding Alex still here, camped out in a chair next to her bed, holding her hand. They grew worse the longer he thought about him. He feared of walking into the room and finding Lindsay and Alex together.

Walking slowly into the room, a smile toyed with his lips when he caught sight of Lindsay lying on the sofa, a white hospital blanket haphazardly thrown over her, a hand tucked under her chin. A lock of blonde hair had fallen across her face and he had to stop himself from reaching out to tuck the stray behind her ear. He walked towards her, grabbing the edge of the blanket and pulled it back over her shoulders. Unable to stop it since he was next to her, his hand reached out, running his fingers across her cheek, tucking the hair behind her ear.

He stilled hearing a sigh and watched Lindsay snuggle into the pillow. When she seemed to settle, he moved away, going towards the bed, where Ashlyn lay. Leaning over he pressed his lips to her forehead. “I’m here, baby girl,” he whispered, taking her hand as he sat in the vacant chair next to her bed.

He gaze wandered over her face, taking in that the bruising had seemed to be starting to fade. It was slowly going to a yellowish color and figured by Monday they would be faint. The abrasions were scabbing and he hoped they wouldn’t leave scars. He had hoped that the worst of the pain that she was feeling had passed while she was in a coma.

“Hey baby,” he whispered, leaning close, not wanting to disturb Lindsay. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here last night.” He wondered how many times he was going to be apologizing for not being there. “I should have been here, had the chance to. My boss said I didn’t have to race and I could be here with you,” he sighed. “I didn’t want to let anyone down so I stayed and raced. I didn’t realize that I’d be letting you down. If I had taken the offer and not of raced, I would have been here when you woke up.”

“I’m sorry baby…” he whispered, bowing his head, resting his forehead on their clasped hands. He took a deep breath trying to calm his emotions. He held her hand tighter as he thought about her waking up without him there. Having her ask where he was tore his heart in two. There was no excuse as to why he hadn’t been glued to her bedside. She was more important than some car; his team and fans would have understood. His fans would have been angry and upset at first, but once it came out why he had sat out the race, they would have understood and agreed with him.

“Daddy…”

The whisper was so faint that Dale wasn’t sure it was real, that his mind was playing tricks on him. Feeling pressure on his hand, he finally raised his head and his breath caught seeing mirrored blue eyes looking back at him.

“Daddy,” Ashlyn whispered again, her hand tightly grasping Dale’s. She saw a tear trickle down his cheek and her own soon followed. She stared at the man who was supposed to be her father. The man she’d seen on commercials and in music videos by Three Doors Down and Nickelback. 

She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing would come to mind. What was she supposed to say to the man who had fathered her, but hadn’t been apart of her life? His voice filtered through her head and she hadn’t been sure it was real. He wasn’t there when she woke up the first time. Seeing him sitting next to her, holding her hand, she knew it had been real; he had been here talking to her.

“You’re real…” she whispered; coughing as the words caught in her dry throat.

Dale looked over his shoulder, seeing Lindsay still sleeping. He caught a pitcher of water and rose from the chair, grabbing the water. Pouring some into a cup, he brought it carefully to Ashlyn’s lips. “Just take a small sip, honey.” 

Ashlyn wanted to sigh in relief as the liquid hit her parched lips. Once she took a few small sips, she laid her head back on the pillow, her eyes following Dale’s movements. She noticed earlier that she had his blue eyes. She had always wondered if that’s where they came from, since her mother had green. She felt tears well in her eyes when she realized she was looking at her father; the man that she had wanted in her life for as long as she could remember. The man she dreamed about; the one who scare the monsters away, build snowmen in the backyard, the one who would scare the boy who came to take her out on a date, the man who would walk her down the aisle. 

“What’s wrong?” Dale asked, his heart starting to beat faster when he saw the tears. “Are you in pain? Do you need me to get a doctor?” He reached out, brushing a tear away that had started making its way down Ashlyn’s cheek. “Ash, sweetie, talk to me. Are you okay?”

Ashlyn slowly nodded. She wasn’t in pain. Pain was the furthest thing from her mind right now as she stared into her father’s panic-ridden eyes. ‘My father…’ she thought. “I just realized something…” she whispered slowly, keeping her eyes trained on him for fear she’d look away and he’d disappear. 

“What’s that?” Dale asked worried. He knew he should wake Lindsay up. She would be upset with him for not waking her, the minute Ashlyn woke, but he wanted these few precious minutes alone with his daughter.

“I have your eyes...” she gulped. “Daddy.”

Dale’s eyes slid closed against the tears and he felt a lump rise in his throat. He reached for Ashlyn’s hand once more, holding it tightly within his. “I’m always gonna be here. From now on,” he told her firmly. He leaned up, kissing her forehead. “I’m gonna be here,” he repeated staring into her eyes. He couldn’t get over the fact of how there were exactly like his. Of course he’d seen the pictures, but seeing them in person added so much.

Ashlyn gave him a small smile, squeezing his hand and gave a yawn. Her eyes were feeling tired and fought it, wanting to stay up as long as she could, didn’t want to miss a moment.

“Let me get Lindsay,” Dale said standing up from the chair. “She’d want me to wake her up to see you.” He turned around moving to the sofa where Lindsay still lay sleeping. “Lindsay,” he called softly, shaking her shoulder. “Linds?”

“Mmm,” Lindsay mumbled her eyes blinking open. “Dale,” she asked tiredly. “Did you just get in? What time is it?”

“I’ve been here for awhile,” Dale told her. “Linds, Ashlyn’s awake…” 

“What?” Lindsay threw the covers back and sat up, narrowly missing Dale’s head. Standing up, she looked over towards the hospital bed and saw her daughter staring back at her. “Oh Ash…” she whispered and rushed towards her. “Sweetie…” she leaned down, hugging her daughter, crying when she felt the uninjured arm reach around her back. “Let me get a doctor…”

“No Momma,” Ashlyn whispered. “I’m okay. I don’t need a doctor.” She looked from her mother to Dale, who had moved to stand behind Lindsay. With them standing next to each other, she noticed the traits she had got from both parents. It made her smile as she had the last connecting piece. “I’m just tired.”

“I know baby,” Lindsay squeezed her hand. “Just rest. I’m not going anywhere. Grandma will be upset to have missed you.”

“I’m sorry, tell Gramma I love her,” Ashlyn whispered.

“She’ll understand she just wants you to get better, baby.”

“I’m sorry,” Ashlyn yawned again.

“Don’t be,” Lindsay squeezed Ashlyn’s hand and kissed her forehead. “Sleep baby. We’ll be here tomorrow.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Dale reached around Lindsay, clasping his hand atop their already joined hands. “I love you baby girl,” he told her as her eyes fluttered shut.

Lindsay held her hand for a few moments longer, making sure she was asleep before tucking it beneath the blankets and pulling the blankets up, tucking her in. Rubbing her eyes she moved towards the sofa, sinking down on it, resting her head in her hands. She would be so glad when this was over. She hadn’t gotten a good nights sleep since this all started and she was beginning to feel it. 

“Hey,” Dale said softly, moving towards her. “Why don’t you lie back down, get some sleep? I’ll sit her with her.”

“You don’t have to, she won’t wake back up,” Lindsay said, raising her head. “You’re probably worn out after racing.”

Dale shrugged, “I caught some sleep on the plane ride here.” 

“Not enough,” Lindsay told him. “Why don’t you go back to the hotel, no sense in both of being here?”

Dale shook her head. “No, I’m not leaving. I promised her I wasn’t going anywhere and I’m not.”

“I didn’t mean going away permanently, just for the rest of the night to catch some sleep before everyone is back here tomorrow.”

“I’m not leaving, why don’t you go back to the hotel and sleep, you look like you’re about ready to drop,” he looked over her seeing the bags underneath her eyes. ‘Send her back to Alex, smart move Earnhardt,’ he yelled to himself. Though there was a chance she’d go back to the room he had booked instead of going to the cop’s room. Did he want to take that chance?

Lindsay shook her head and Dale’s sigh of relief was almost audible. “No, I’m not leaving her.”

“Then it’s settled. We both stay,” he said. “Just lie down and go to sleep. I’ll sit here…” he pointed to the chair next to Ashlyn’s bed.

Lindsay sighed, feeling it was useless to argue with him. She kicked her feet up onto the small sofa bed and moved to lie back down, straightening the blanket over her body. She shivered, tucking her hands between her legs. She should ask for another blanket, but didn’t want to bother, figuring she’d be okay with the one. 

“Cold?” He asked watching her as she settled down on the bed. He pushed himself out of the chair, heading to his bag. Unzipping it, he rummaged through it, sighing when he realized he must have forgotten to pack the sweatshirt he had laid out. He stood up reaching behind him; he pulled the black sweatshirt he wore over his head. “Here,” he held it out, straightening the white t-shirt that had rode up on his body when he pulled the hoodie off.

“Now you’ll be cold,” she looked down at the sweatshirt, feeling a blush rise over her neck, when she caught sight of bare skin.

“I’ll be fine,” he shook the hoodie. “Take it.”

Lindsay reached out, grasping the hoodie. She pulled it over her head, taking a deep breath as Dale’s scent reached her nostrils. “Thank you,” she smiled softly, feeling the material begin to warm her already – at least she thought it was the material. She lay back down and pulled the blanket back over her body but she couldn’t fall asleep. She watched Dale sitting in the chair, legs stretched out in front of him, head resting on his fist.

“Dale?” She whispered across the dark room.

“Yeah?”

“That can’t be comfortable,” she said. “There is enough room over here.”

Dale turned to stare at Lindsay wondering if she were serious. She wanted him to sleep with her on the bed? Seeing her lying under the blanket, in his sweatshirt his heart flip flopped in his chest. ‘It sure beats the chair,’ he thought. He stood up and walked over to the sofa and kicked his shoes off.

“I’ll sleep on the edge,” she offered and sat up, allowing Dale to crawl behind her. “Just don’t push me off.”

“I won’t,” Dale chuckled. “Just don’t hog the covers…” the slip was out of his mouth before he could catch it and they both grew silent as they remembered Telluride. 

Lindsay settled back down on the bed, realizing that with Dale lying next to her, it was smaller than she had thought. She willed her body to relax and slowly sleep washed over her.

‘This is gonna be a long night,’ Dale thought listening to Lindsay’s breathing even out. He tucked an arm underneath his head and closed his eyes, hoping he’d be able to keep his hands to himself and catch some sleep.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

Grace unzipped Lindsay’s bag and grabbed a change of clothes for her daughter. She carefully packed the clothes in the blue and green striped tote that she had bought at Wal-Mart when she had purchased extra toiletries. Making sure her crossword puzzle and the paperback novel she was reading were in the bag, she grabbed the remote and flipped through the channels while Brenda finished getting ready in the bathroom. 

Seeing Dale’s picture on the screen next to a commentator on ESPN, she stopped on the channel to listen.

“…Earnhardt Junior confirmed the reports broke by our own NASCAR Now’s Marty Smith, stating that he had a thirteen year old daughter. The daughter, Ashlyn Pierce, was kidnapped and during pursuit was thrown from the car. She’s listed as critical condition at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville,” he said and the television switched to a replay of the press conference that was held yesterday. “Earnhardt, along with his car owner Rick Hendrick, held a press conference yesterday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway before the start of the Bank of America 500.

“The report that broke on NASCAR Now by Marty Smith is true. My daughter Ashlyn is thirteen years old and lives with her mother, Lindsay. She was kidnapped last week and held for ransom. While being held, the kidnapper pushed her from his car. She is in the hospital, still in critical condition.”

“He went on to answer a few media questions, stating that while he regrets not being there for his daughter, he doesn’t blame Lindsay for not telling him—“

Grace changed the channel settling on a news channel to catch up on the latest happenings in the country. She sighed seeing Dale’s face pop back up in the corner as the anchor talked about Ashlyn. 

“Big news breaking from the NASCAR world yesterday before the start of the Bank of America 500 from Lowes Motor Speedway; NASCAR’s most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Junior confirmed reports that he had a daughter, streaming from a relationship back in 1994—“. 

Grace sighed and changed the channel again. ‘Surely there are more important things going on in the world today than the fact that Dale had a child,’ she thought.

“Get used to it,” Brenda stated coming from the bathroom. “This is gonna be talked about for awhile.”

“I don’t know why,” she finally gave up and turned the television off. “Guess I never really saw how popular he was.”

“It hasn’t always been this bad,” Brenda told her as she moved around the room, checking to make sure her own things were packed in her bag for the hospital. “He got a lot of press for the sheer fact that he was Dale Earnhardt’s son. Then when Dale died everything turned to him; the media, the fans; expecting Dale to lead them.”

“That’s a lot of pressure.”

Brenda nodded, “It was. People turning to him for support, the link between them and Dale Sr. He couldn’t grieve on his own, trying to be strong for everyone else.”

“I remember,” Grace stood moving towards the window, staring out at the traffic; people getting ready for the day, going to work, day care, and family outings. “I didn’t know until the following day, we didn’t watch – still don’t. It was in the morning paper. Lindsay was so distraught when she read it. She called off work and let Ashlyn stay home from kindergarten. She wanted her near. I think that was one of the few times where she really contemplated telling Dale, where she had questioned her decisions.

“There wasn’t a day that went by where she wasn’t wondering if she had made the right choice,” Grace went on to say. “I tried to help her out, but it was ultimately her decision. But when Dale died, it was like that one moment brought her to question everything she did.”

“I’d like to smack him upside the head,” Brenda shook her head. “I knew something happened during the trip, but he would never really talk about it. Josh just grumbled about him ‘meeting a chick’. Of course I knew that from how he acted.”

“Brenda, I must confess something,” Grace fretted, turning to look at the woman.

“What is it?” Brenda frowned, wondering what was on Grace’s mind.

“Once Dale’s popularity began to grow, I didn’t urge Lindsay to tell him about Ashlyn as much as I should have. I was afraid that once he knew, he would take her away. I didn’t want to lose her. I’m still afraid.”

Brenda stared at the woman, thinking about what she just heard. She couldn’t believe that Grace would think so little of her son, that he would take his daughter away from her mother. And from what she could tell, Lindsay was a good mother no where near deserving of the act. She opened her mouth but closed it again and sighed. She couldn’t hold that against Grace, she didn’t know Dale like she did. 

“It’s alright,” Brenda said with a small smile. “But Dale won’t take Ashlyn away from Lindsay.”

“I know that now, least I think I do. It’s still there in the back of my mind, that he’ll take her.”

Brenda shook her head,” I don’t think you have anything to worry about. He won’t –“She looked towards the door when a knock sounded. “That must be Alex,” she said. She pulled open the door and smiled at the younger man. “Good morning.”

“Morning,” Alex smiled at Brenda, stepping inside the room. He found it hard not to like the woman, even if she was Dale’s mother. “How are you ladies this morning?”

“Ready to go see Ashlyn,” Grace smiled at Alex and grabbed her bag.

“Allow me,” he intercepted the tote with a smile and a wink. “No need for you to carry it.”

Grace laughed softly, “Thanks,” she waited for Brenda to grab her bag which Alex grabbed as well.

“Shall we ladies?” Alex smiled as he held his arm out towards the door. “I’d get the door, but…” he trailed off looking at his full hands.

Brenda laughed, “Don’t worry, we’ll get it.” She held the door open, allowing Grace and Alex to pass through. Making sure the door latched when she shut it, she gave it a final tug before catching up. She fell into step next to Grace, glancing sideways at her. “Don’t worry about Dale doing that. He will not take Ashlyn from Lindsay.”

‘I hope not,’ Grace thought. She liked Dale. From the small amount of time she had been around him, believed him to be a good man. From what she overheard the other night, she believed he still had feelings for her daughter and doubted he wanted to do anything to jeopardize them.

Alex walked behind the women, catching the words exchanged and tried to hide a small smile. He didn’t like how Dale had wormed his way back into Lindsay’s life so fast. Lindsay hadn’t even listened to him when he tried to talk to her about the media, deciding to wait until Dale had made a decision. 

If Grace was scared that Dale was going to try and take Ashlyn away, he could use that to his advantage to put a rift between the two. If that happened, Lindsay would be more apt to side with her mother. That could create a wedge between Dale and Lindsay.

He sighed as he pulled into the hospital. He still relied on the fact that Dale would get tired of playing house. He would be there for now, but as the weeks wore on, he’d slowly go back into his old ways and routines before falling out of Ashlyn’ life. Alex could just sit back and watch Dale break both his daughter’s and Lindsay’s heart, step in to pick up the pieces, thus rekindling an old romance that should have never died. 

Alex needed to start thinking of a way to get closer to Lindsay. They had always been close, even after they ended their relationship, but since Dale had came back into the picture; she had been leaning on him more. He hated being jealous. He hated being pushed aside by someone who thought he deserved every right to be in the picture. He had been the one to go to Ashlyn’s plays. He had been the one Ashlyn had asked to speak to her class during, “Bring your father to school” day. He was there when she broke her arm falling off the monkey bars. The only thing racer boy had done was donate sperm and wave his money around.

He gritted his teeth when the elevators opened up and he followed the women to Ashlyn’s room. This was his family behind the door. He was the only ‘father’ Ashlyn had known and he deserved to be in her life instead of pushed aside like yesterday’s garbage.

“Oh my…” Grace whispered when she pushed opened the door to Ashlyn’s room.

“What…” Alex asked stepping up behind Grace to look into the room. He froze seeing the scene in front of him and felt his blood boil. He had been hoping that the driver would have been held up in Charlotte unable to make it. When he had seen only Brenda and Grace in the hotel room, he was unable to contain his excitement thinking Dale had not arrived yet. It never crossed his mind that he would have gone straight to the hospital. 

Dale was laying on the inside of the sofa on his back with Lindsay curled up against his side, her head resting in the crook of his shoulder. The white hospital blanket was thrown over them, but it was plain to see the tips of Lindsay’s fingers peeking out from the edge splayed across Dale’s chest. From the bumps in the blanket, he knew her leg was tangled with Dale’s. Dale’s arms were loosely wrapped around her, his cheek resting against the top of her head. 

“They could have taken this out of Ashlyn’s sight,” Alex spat out, jealously pumping through his veins. 

“Lindsay would never do that,” Grace eyed Alex before turning back to the two sleeping adults. She couldn’t deny how Lindsay looked comfortable laying there. She wondered if they had talked at all but then shook her head of the thought. ‘Lets concentrate on getting Ashlyn better,’ she told herself.

“I raised my son better than that,” Brenda glared at the cop and what he was implying. “I think they both have higher morals than to have sex in a hospital room with their daughter sleeping not five feet from them.” She took her bag from Alex before stepping further into the room. She sat the bag on the floor before shrugging out of her coat.

Brenda walked over the sofa, softly smiling as she looked down at Dale. He looked content and relaxed. She shook her head, wondering if her son knew what was happening. ‘Doubt it. Men don’t see these things,’ she thought as she placed a hand on his shoulder gently shaking him. “Dale, wake up.”

Dale blinked his eyes opening, hearing his mother’s voice. Seeing her leaning over him, he groaned. “What time is it?” he mumbled a little disoriented. His muscles ached from sleeping in the same position all night and in a sofa that wasn’t meant to sleep someone of his stature.

“Eight. Time to get up,” Brenda told him as she moved towards the bed where Ashlyn laid. She grabbed her granddaughter’s hand giving it a squeeze. “Time for you to wake up too, sleepyhead,” she smiled down on Ashlyn’s sleeping face. “I should know better though, just like your father. He’d sleep all day if he could.”

Dale rolled his eyes hearing his mother before dropping them to the warm body that was snuggled up against him. It hadn’t taken long last night before Lindsay had gravitated towards him. He had been lying awake still trying to unwind from the race when he felt her move. He watched as she turned over and moved closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder, her arm on his chest. He had briefly wondered if he should move her but the content sigh she gave when she curled up next to him, stopped him.

He felt eyes burning into him and he looked up, catching Alex’s glare. Giving him a smirk, he looked down at Lindsay wishing he could prolong the moment. But with both their mothers in the room, he didn’t figure that would be a good idea. He sighed and turned his head to her and spoke softly against her hair.

“Lindsay, wake up. We have company…”

Lindsay groaned at the voice breaking through to her dream causing it to start to fade away. She shook her head and burrowed deeper against the pillow and the warmth. Her subconscious desperately sought to return to the dream. Feeling fingers brush over her hip her eyes shot open and she stared directly into Dale’s blue orbs. 

“Mornin’,” Dale grinned at her confused expression. “You’ll be happy to know that you don’t steal the covers anymore…you just like to cuddle.”


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter Thirty-One

“Momma,” Ashlyn’s soft voice whispered across the room. Her eyes fluttered open and she caught Lindsay sitting next to her. 

“Hey sweetheart,” Lindsay smiled, brushing Ashlyn’s blonde hair from her forehead. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired… and sore…”

“Are you in pain, sweetie? Do you need for me to get the doctor?”

“No Momma, I don’t need the doctor,” Ashlyn looked around the hospital room seeing her room littered with balloons and flowers; she couldn’t wait to read the cards and see who they were from. ’Maybe Bryce sent me that teddy bear,’ she thought with giddy. If it was, she had the perfect spot for it – right on her bed. ‘Maybe he just got me a card. Oh well, I’ll place that in my diary. That has to mean something. For him to send me a get well card.’

She took her mind off the gifts in her room and looked at the people that were occupying it. She took the time to take in the woman standing next to Dale, seeing the similarities between the two. She was going to assume that it was Dale’s mother Brenda. Of course she heard Brenda talking to her, but it was nice to put the face to a name. Her eyes widened slightly as a thought slammed into her mind. ‘That’s my grandma.’

Ashlyn turned her panic ridden eyes towards her mother. She opened her mouth to speak but couldn’t form a word. It was as if everything was hitting her finally. When she got out of the hospital, her life would never be the same. She would never be able to go home and go back into her old routine. One act changed the whole complexity of her life. 

She had a father and a famous one at that. Along with a father, she garnered a brand new family. A family that not only didn’t live in Kentucky, but two states away in North Carolina. How was she going to see them? What was she going to do about school? Where was she going to live?

“Ash, are you okay?” Lindsay asked worriedly. 

“Momma,” Ashlyn cried a few tears slipping down her cheeks. Was she going to have to move to North Carolina? She didn’t know anyone there. What was going to happen to her mother… her grandmother? She didn’t want to leave them.

“This is ridiculous,” Alex broke in, watching Ashlyn cry. “I’m getting a doctor.”

“No,” Ashlyn shook her head. She didn’t need a doctor, she needed her mother.

“Tell us what’s wrong?” Dale frowned, moving to stand next to Lindsay. He swallowed hard seeing the tears and distraught features.

Ashlyn looked up at Dale before looking over at Lindsay, “Can I talk to you alone Momma?”

Lindsay furrowed her brows in confusion, but nodded her head. “Of course you can sweetie,” she turned towards the other adults. “Can we have a few minutes?”

“Of course,” Grace pursed her lips, wondering what was going through her granddaughter’s head. “It’s lunch time, why don’t we go down to the cafeteria?”

“Sounds good,” Brenda agreed, knowing that Lindsay and Ashlyn had a lot to talk about, but wished Ashlyn had wanted Dale to stay. “Lindsay, can we bring you back anything?”

“No, I’ll grab something later,” Lindsay shook her head, watching as the two woman made their way from the room. She turned to Alex raising an eyebrow questioning why he was still in the room.

“You sure she doesn’t need a doctor?” Alex asked.

“I’m sure, she just wants to talk, go grab some lunch.”

Alex opened his mouth before closing it, deciding to make his way from the room and catch up with Brenda and Grace.

“Dale…” Lindsay started, staring at him.

Dale sighed, looking from Lindsay to Ashlyn, who refused to meet his gaze. He had been hoping that they’d let him stay. He wanted to know why Ashlyn was crying. “I’m gonna go get some air then,” he turned around digging through his bag producing the pack of cigarettes before leaving the room.

Once they were alone, Lindsay turned back towards her daughter, brushing the hair from her forehead. “Alright, honey, what’s wrong?”

“Momma, am I moving to North Carolina?”

Lindsay was so surprised by the question she didn’t know what to say at first. “Baby, where did you get that idea? Did you hear someone say that?”

Ashlyn shook her head, “That’s where Dale lives. Am I gonna have to go live there?”

“Oh sweetie, no…” Lindsay sighed closing her eyes. She knew questions would be coming, she just never thought they’d still be in the hospital. She had been hoping that Ashlyn would hold off until they were home. “You’re not going to live with Dale; you’re staying with me in Kentucky.”

“Am I gonna have to go visit him?”

Lindsay nodded, “Yes, you’ll probably be staying with him here and there, over some school breaks. He’s your father…”

“I don’t know him. How can you expect me to go all the way to North Carolina and stay with him? I don’t know him or his family.”

“I know sweetie and that’s my fault. I should have told Dale about you and you wouldn’t just be finding out, but I can’t change what I did and now we’re going to have to make adjustments. He’s going to want to see you and going to want you to go to his house and meet the rest of his family.”

“But what about school?”

“You’re still going to be going to school here. Your father and I will talk about when you can visit him. Once we get you home, we’ll sit down and talk, okay?”

Ashlyn turned her head away from her mother, staring towards the window. She didn’t know how to take the news. Finally she knew who her father was and he was in, wanting to be a part of her life. That was something she wished for as long as she could remember. She always thought about the moment where she would meet her father for the first time. She expected tears, smiles and hugs and happy ever after.

Now that the moment was here, Ashlyn wasn’t too sure it would end up like she imagined. The fact that her father turned out to be famous, threw her mind into a spin. And she began to think about how her life was going to be different now. No longer would it just be her mother, grandmother and her; there were going to be aunts, uncles, another set of grandparents and cousins. Her family was going to multiply furiously.

“Can I be alone for a few minutes?” 

“Ashlyn…” Lindsay said worriedly.

“I’m fine, Momma, I just want to be alone…” Ashlyn looked up at her mother when she made no move to leave. She took her hand, clasping it over Lindsay’s. “I’m fine, really.”

“Alright,” Lindsay relented. She didn’t want to leave her daughter by herself. “I’ll give you a few minutes,” she gave her daughter’s hand a squeeze. “If you need ‘anything’,” she emphasized, “ring the call button.” She made sure the call button was placed next to Ashlyn’s hand within easy reach.

“I’m fine,” Ashlyn repeated, forcing a small smile. “Really Momma.”

“Alright,” Lindsay sighed and grabbed the discarded hoodie before leaving the room.

**

Dale signed and ground out the last of his cigarette, blowing out a final puff of smoke. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what they were talking about in the hospital room. He knew it was probably about him, he just didn’t know what. He was anxious for Ashlyn to be released from the hospital. Once that happened he knew they could talk and begin to start a relationship.

“That a new habit?”

He glanced behind him see Lindsay walking up to him, clad in his sweatshirt. A smile graced his lips seeing her in his clothes again. She could have easily of grabbed her coat but instead she grabbed his shirt. ‘Has to mean something,’ he thought. He stuffed the cigarette back in the box that he had grabbed as she walked up, stuffing the pack into his pocket.

“Heh,” he shook his head. “Old habit. Trying to quit, but the past couple weeks ain’t helping.”

“I’m sorry,” Lindsay sighed, stuffing her hands in the front of the hoodie. “Aren’t you cold?”

Dale shook his head, “Nah, I’m good. Not like I have anything to wear anyway.” He looked at the hoodie.

Lindsay blushed, realizing she had been wearing his only source of warm clothing. “I’m sorry, you want it back?” She moved to take the hoodie off.

Dale reached out, stopping her movements, “Keep it on. I’ll get it before I leave, it’s my favorite,” he smirked.

Lindsay smiled and moved to sit on the bench. Leaning against the back, she sighed, staring out over the courtyard. Dale sat next to her and she waited for the questions to start and when they didn’t she looked over at him. He was staring ahead not seemingly paying attention to her. She took the time to study his face.

“You gonna stare at me all day?”

“I…wh…” Lindsay stuttered, embarrassed at being caught. “When do you have to be back?”

Dale chuckled at the change of subject, but let it go, “Tomorrow night. I’ll leave tomorrow morning. I have an auction going tomorrow for The Dale Junior Foundation. Then a concert Tuesday night at my club, Whiskey River. I’ll come back Wednesday and Thursday before I have to be in Martinsville on Friday.” 

Lindsay nodded as they lapsed into silence again. “Ashlyn is afraid,” she blurted.

Dale looked at her, caught off guard. “Why is she afraid?”

Lindsay sighed. They all needed to sit down and talk, but they couldn’t do that right now. “She’s worried you’re going to take her to North Carolina,” she stood up. “I am too,” she whispered, walking a few steps from the bench.

Dale scrambled to his feet. Catching up with Lindsay, he grabbed her arm turning her to face him. “What?” He questioned, searching her face. “You’re afraid I’m going to take Ashlyn to North Carolina?” When she wouldn’t meet his gaze, her cupped her chin, raising her chin to meet his eyes. “Lindsay?”

“Yes, yes I’m afraid that you’re gonna take her from me. After she’s better and we get home, you’re gonna have lawyers ready to serve me with papers and you’re gonna take her away from me.”

Dale stood blinking at Lindsay. He was at a loss of what to say. He couldn’t understand where she had come up with the idea that he would just take Ashlyn from her. She actually believed that he would take his daughter away from her. He dropped his hand from her face and turned from her.

“Dale…” Lindsay called softly. She knew she hurt Dale by her comments, but it was how she felt. She was scared to death he was going to take her daughter from her.

“You believe that?” Dale asked, not turning around. He felt her presence behind him and stuffed his hands into the pocket of jeans so he wouldn’t grab her and give her a shake.

“I don’t know,” she stated softly. “I don’t know what to believe. I don’t know what you’ll do and that scares me.”

Dale turned around, staring at her. “I never once thought about taking Ashlyn from you. The thought has never crossed my mind. You’re her mother, Linds. She needs you. I need you…” he paused seeing her eyes widen and he took a step closer. “I don’t know what I’m doing. This is all new to me,” he reached out, taking her hand in his. “I’m gonna need your help with her. I don’t want to screw anything up.”

Lindsay stared down at their hands, taking in how her hand fit into his. Her head rose, staring into his blue orbs feeling her heart skip a beat. She nodded and turned around making her way back towards the hospital, her hand still tucked in his.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty Two

Over the next couple weeks, Ashlyn condition slowly progressed. She was awake during normal hours and showed no signs of brain trauma. Lindsay attested to the fact that she was acting like she had before the accident. She had feared that there would be permanent damage to her brain from not only the accident itself but from being without oxygen for so long. The fracture to her hip was healing nicely and she was able to walk without assistance for short periods. At times she needed a cane, others she was relegated to a wheelchair, much to Ashlyn’s chagrin. The doctor had said with physical therapy and time, she would be back to normal with only a slight trace of a limp if any. 

Ashlyn was able to ditch the sling from the gun shot wound a couple days earlier. While in physical therapy they showed her stretches to do to work the strength and mobility back in her arm.

“Momma, can I go home yet?” Ashlyn asked as she flipped through the channels on the television.

“Ash, sweetie, the doctors will release you when they are sure you good,” Lindsay told her daughter, sympathizing with her. She was ready to leave the hospital once and for all and go home. She couldn’t wait to settle back into her routine.

“But I’m good, Momma,” she whined. “Can’t you talk to them? Make them release me? I promise I’ll go to therapy and do all my exercises.”

Grace chuckled at her granddaughter, “It doesn’t work that way sweetie.”

Ashlyn sighed and lay back against the bed, pouting. She looked at her mother and grandmother, knowing they were not going to sway from their position. She slowly turned to her right to the man sitting in the chair watching their exchange. “Can you spring me from this place, Dale?”

Lindsay bit her lip looking back and forth between father and daughter. Ashlyn hadn’t called Dale, Daddy, since the night she had woken up with him in the hospital room. After that, she had called him Dale. Knowing that it had hurt Dale, Lindsay had tried talking to her daughter about it, but Ashlyn shut her out. The only thing Lindsay could tell Dale was to give her time.

Dale laughed and shook his head, “I don’t think so.”

“I’ve been here forever!” Ashlyn sighed dramatically. “I just want to go home, sleep in my own bed, eat a nice greasy cheeseburger from McDonalds.”

“I can probably arrange the cheeseburger,” Dale grinned.

“How about we get the cheeseburger on the way home?” Ashlyn asked hopefully, her eyes pleading with Dale.

Dale sighed and pushed his lanky build up from the chair. “I’ll go talk to the doctor,” he shook his head and wondered just how many times his daughter was going to pull that look on him and how many times he would give in to her.

“Thank you!” Ashlyn grinned watching him walk from the room.

“Ashlyn…” Lindsay shook her head, hiding a small smile. Dale had a lot to learn about parenting but she let it slide since he was still learning.

“What...” Ashlyn grinned. “I just want to go home, Momma. I miss my friends, I miss school, I miss my bed.”

“I know you do, sweetie,” Lindsay took her hand, giving it a squeeze. She looked up when the door opened and Doctor Williams walked in, followed by Dale.

“I hear someone wants to get out of here?” Doctor Williams asked, smiling at Ashlyn as he flipped through her charts.

“Yes, please let me go. I feel much better today,” Ashlyn pleaded with the doctor, turning her blue eyes on him while the adults chuckled.

“I tell you what,” Doctor Williams laughed. “I’ll go round up the paperwork and I can probably have you on your way home by lunch time. How’s that?”

“Oh thank you thank you thank you!” Ashlyn grinned at the doctor, who nodded to them all before leaving the room to grab the necessary paperwork. “Thank you, Dale,” she turned towards her father smiling at him.

“Hey, I only asked if you could have the greasiest burger I could find,” Dale laughed and gave her a wink.

**

“Oh it feels nice to be home,” Ashlyn called as she walked into the house later that night. She made her way to the sofa, sitting down, propping her feet on the coffee table.

“Yes it does,” Lindsay smiled watching Ashlyn as she performed one of her many tasks before the accident. Instead of yelling at Ashlyn to put her feet on the floor, Lindsay left it slide, thankful that she was there to put her feet on the table.

“Did someone come over while we were gone?” Ashlyn asked looking around the living room. It looked seemingly untouched since the last time she had been home. 

“Christy came over,” Lindsay said as she picked up the bag of clothes. “She checked the mail and made sure the dust didn’t bury us when we got home.” She made her way into the laundry room, dumping the contents of the bag directly into the washer. Catching black material out of the corner of her eye, she reached into the drum and pulled it out. Opening it up, she saw Dale’s hoodie. Fingering the article of clothing, she brought it up to her nose. Sighing when the scent of the hospital overrode Dale’s, she threw it down in the drum and shut the lid.

“Momma, can Anna come over?” Ashlyn asked when her mother walked back into the room.

“I don’t know…” Lindsay started looking at the clock. It was still early in the day, but she didn’t want her daughter to wear herself out to quickly.

“Please?”

“Alright,” Lindsay relented. “Give her a call.”

“Thanks Momma,” Ashlyn grinned, standing up, slowly making her way to the stairs. “I’ll call her from my room,” stopping to grab the cordless phone from the base.

“Wait,” both Dale and Lindsay rushed forward, stopping Ashlyn from getting on the stairs.

“Let me help you,” Lindsay said. 

“Momma,” Ashlyn groaned. “I think I can manage steps.”

“Humor me,” Lindsay frowned.

“Alright,” Ashlyn sighed.

“I’ll do it,” Dale cut in. “Go sit down and relax. I’ll make sure she gets upstairs.”

“You don’t…” Lindsay broke off when she saw the look Dale gave her and sighed. “Alright, you need anything you holler down the steps. Do not try to come down without someone helping you. Got it?”

“Yes ma’am,” Ashlyn gave her mother a fake salute before turning towards the steps.

Lindsay watched Dale help Ashlyn up the steps before turning and making her way into the kitchen to the stack of mail that was waiting for her on the counter. She sighed and started flipping threw the envelopes.

“What’s wrong baby?” Grace asked walking into the kitchen. She moved to the stove, filling the tea kettle with water before placing it over the burner.

“I missed so much work, I used up all my vacation and personal days in the first two weeks,” Lindsay told her mother as she sorted the bills in the mail and making a stack of junk. “They were nice enough to give me a leave of absence, but it was without pay. I lost a full paycheck, Momma.” She looked down at the stack of bills and closed her eyes against the tears. “I don’t know what I’m going to do, especially when the hospital bills start coming in.”

“Don’t worry about those right now,” Grace said as she grabbed two coffee cups from the cupboard. Moving to the jar that set next to the sugar, she pulled out two tea bags.

“I have to Momma, I know they are coming. I have to plan for them,” she picked up the stack of bills, turning to face Grace. “Look at these, these are all bills. You think if I put them back in the mailbox, the mailman will take them away?”

Grace chuckled as she finished making the tea, carefully moving the cups to the table. “I wish it worked that way, baby.”

“I’m gonna have to dip into savings to pay these bills,” she sighed. “I hate doing that… I don’t want to have to rely on savings.”

“Sweetie, that’s what it’s there for, for things like this. Don’t worry about the hospital bills until they come. Just worry about the ones you have right now.”

“You know I can’t do that, Momma. I know that bill is coming and I know it’s going to be outlandish…” Lindsay sat down at the table, blowing on her hot tea, before taking a small sip. “I’m gonna need your help Momma.”

“Sweetie, you know I’ll help you,” Grace reached out, giving her daughter’s hand a squeeze.

“Not with money, I’m gonna pick up extra hours at work. I need you to be here to take care of Ashlyn. I have to get as many hours as I can. I’m gonna see if I can pick up Thanksgiving as well. I don’t have to work it this year, but its double time. I can’t pass that up now,” she said, thinking about the upcoming holiday. She had worked Thanksgiving last year and was set to have it off this year since they alternated Thanksgiving and Christmas each year. 

“Honey, why don’t you talk to Dale?”

“About what?”

“Linds, he’s going to be in Ashlyn’s life. Why not see if he can take care of Ashlyn as well? Maybe ask and see if he can help with the hospital bill?”

Lindsay shook her head, “I can’t do that. I can’t ask him for help.”

“Why not?” Grace asked confused. “Ashlyn’s his daughter. And from what I’ve seen, he’ll be more than willing to help out and will jump at the chance to spend time with her.”

“I know, it’s just…”Lindsay sighed. “I’m scared.”

“Why?”

“I’m afraid he’s going to take her from me,” Lindsay said quietly. “He says he’s not going to, but I’m still scared.”

“Lindsay…”

“How can I fight him, Momma? I can’t pay the bills that I have right now. How am I gonna afford a lawyer to fight him? I don’t want to lose Ashlyn. I don’t want him to take her from me,” Lindsay cried and fell into her mother’s arms.

“Shh…” Grace comforted her daughter. She looked up and saw a blur of red disappear from the doorway and sighed. She had thought their talk in the courtyard had cleared up any questions but she was wrong. “Lindsay, talk to him. Give him a chance. You guys are now alone, no one to interrupt. You two need to sit down and talk. You guys talk first, then talk with Ashlyn.”

“Momma…” 

“Don’t Momma me,” Grace said sternly. “Do it.”


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter Thirty Three

Dale pulled his truck into the parking lot of the shop his 88 team shared with the 5 team. It was his day off which was a rarity since it was so late in the season and everyone was trying to get final appearances in before the end of the season. He didn’t mind coming into the shop, the guys worked hard all season long, and he should be in there helping them out, trying to think of things to improve on. 

He hadn’t been that busy today anyway. He had been sitting on his couch flipping through the channels on his flat screen, wondering why he paid for so many channels when there wasn’t a damn thing on. If he had consecutive days off, he would have flown to Kentucky to spend time with Ashlyn. 

Ashlyn had been making a great recovery. The bruising was all faded and the scars from the road burn were slowly fading. Every time he saw the scars on her face, it reminded him of just how close he came to losing her. ‘It’s amazing she’s even mine now.’ Dale thought to himself.

Her arm was still in a sling and she had been going to physical therapy for her shoulder as well as her hip. Her hip fracture had proven to be her biggest injury. She had trouble walking and at times was regulated to a wheel chair to get around. At times she could walk with a cane, but on bad days she was in too much pain to hardly move.

Dale wished there was something he could do to alleviate the pain, but he could only stand back and watch. She was stubborn, refusing help and he chuckled as he walked towards the front of the building. Ashlyn had definitely got the stubborn gene from the Earnhardt side. It had definitely showed in the past few weeks.

He was glad that she had caught up on her homework. He had been worried, as was Lindsay that she had missed too many days and would have to repeat, but his daughter had made him proud. She had buckled down and worked on her missed assignments and turned them in. Her friend, Anna, had offered to tutor her over what she had missed and shared all of her notes. The teachers and the principle had been very helpful and used Ashlyn’s study hall and an hour after school to catch her up with the rest of the class.

Dale couldn’t wait for the season to be over with and Thanksgiving to come. He and Lindsay had worked it out so that Ashlyn could stay with him over the holiday. Lindsay had been reluctant at first, even though she worked on Thanksgiving. He understood that she didn’t want to be without her daughter, especially over a holiday. He knew it was going to be a big adjustment for all of them. 

He walked through the front doors and smiled at the receptionist before making his way to the shop doors. He frowned seeing the dark bay through the window on the door. Pushing the door open, he made his way in.

“Surprise!” 

Dale nearly jumped out of skin at the shouts and the light that suddenly flooded the shop. Looking around he saw his guys along with the 5 crew smiling at him. It was then he noticed the pink streamers and balloons flanking a, “It’s a girl!” sign. He groaned as he realized he had been had.

“Guys,” he groaned seeing them walk up to him, grinning. He knew those grins because he was usually along side of them with the same grin. He knew nothing good every came from it. He took a step back and noticed the guys had surrounded him. “What are you doing?”

“We’ll make it easy on ya,” TJ appeared in front of him, clutching a pink shirt. “Either put it on or we’ll put it on ya.”

“What is it?” Dale looked skeptically at the shirt. He didn’t do pink. He watched as TJ unfolded the shirt and he read what was printed on it. ‘Proud new father,’ was scrawled across the shirt in bold black letters. “Shit…” he rolled his eyes and reached for the shirt; pulling his hoodie off, he pulled the shirt over his head. He saw the flash and looked up catching Jeff Gordon with a camera. Next to Jeff stood Jimmie Johnson, who was wearing a big grin as he held a video camera on the festivities.

“Put that damn thing away,” Dale shouted.

“No can do,” Jimmie chuckled as he zoomed in. “I’m thinking of posting this on YouTube…”

“Mother fu…” Dale started.

“Nuh uh,” Jimmie clucked his tongue. “PG, Dale.”

“What the hell is this?” Dale asked looking around, seeing the drinks piled on a table with snacks. He caught side of a table with wrapped gifts in pink wrapping paper and bows. 

“A baby shower!” Matt Myers laughed.

“You know that’s a woman thing right?” Dale said as he let the guys lead him towards an office chair. He sat down when they gave him a little push. “Easy, still have to drive the car on Sunday.”

“You sure don’t do anything easy,” Jim Williams, a fabricator, said. “You do shit ass backwards.”

“Look at the bright side,” Josh Snider grinned. “Instead of diapers you get to deal with periods and mood swings!”

“Not to mention boys and dating!” Tony Eury Junior shouted.

“And when you think about that, just remember how we were in high school…” Josh grinned.

“Funny, I don’t remember you being anything in high school,” Dale smirked. 

“I hope Ashlyn finds the boy you used to be,” Josh shook his head. “Then we’ll see who’ll be laughing.”

Dale groaned at the thought of his daughter bringing home the teenage boy he used to be. He hadn’t been the popular jock by any means, but he did have his fair share of girls. He had to have used every line in the book when it came to them.

“Don’t worry, JuneBug,” Jason Dalrymple, another fabricator and his catch can man, laughed. “We got you all covered.”

“We decided to forgo games and just buy presents…”

Dale heard some small chuckles from the back row of guys and guessed that that statement may not be true. “This ought to be good,” Dale eyed the gifts and didn’t even want to guess what he would open. He sighed, pulled a beer out of the pink plastic kiddie pool sitting next to his “Chair of Honor” adorned with pink balloons and crepe paper streamers and twisted it open. After taking a long drought from it, he reached for the first gift and got ready for anything.

**

Dale opened another box of tampons, Super Plus size this time and laughed. He tossed it behind him to where TJ was stacking the gifts. There was a pyramid of maxi pads and tampons in all ranges of absorption (he cringed at how he was recognizing this stuff now) towering over him. There were a few boxes of Midol as well. He laughed as his friends explained to him how it matched with stuff from baby showers. The pads and tampons replacing the diapers and wipes and the Midol replaced the Mylicon. “It helps to stop the bitching.” Eury Jr. had said. 

After tearing the paper from another box with one hand while lifting another beer to his lips, Dale quirked an eyebrow at the gift in his lap. “Vagisil?” He asked.

Josh Snider smiled. “To replace the diaper rash cream.” The rest of the guys groaned. Someone smacked the back of his head with their hand causing a brief scuffle broke out between the two of them.

Dale laughed and flipped the gift back to TJ. “You thought too damn hard over that one.”

“Well the rules of this party were to think about what you’d get for a regular baby shower and then try to bring it to a 13 year old.” Josh shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “It was cheap anyway. Cheaper than some diaper rash creams actually.”

Another box wrapped in Victoria’s Secret paper was in his lap. “I’m too terrified to open this one.” He said. “Is it gonna bite me?”

“Dale, stuff from that place doesn’t come with crabs. It’s just the chicks that wear them later that add them to it.” The crowd busted out into laughter.

He lifted the lid and gingerly lifted the lacy scrap of fabric. He could feel his temper rising when he thought about someone buying this for Ashlyn. He couldn’t find the card. ‘How in the hell does this even fit the theme?’

Chris Golder stepped up and said “My wife bought that. She thought it’d be cute. She said it’s a babydoll.”

‘There’s the connection,’ Dale thought gritting his teeth. “Well, she’s not getting this until she’s 35.” More chuckles came from his audience. ‘Just a few more gifts to go. Dale couldn’t help but lose himself into the laughter when he read the papers in the envelope. “Who bought me stock in Alltel and AT&T?”

Tony Eury raised his hand and said “That’s a gift from all of us. We all pooled some money and bought it. We figured you’d need something like that with the way teenagers talk on the phone.”

“Or text.”

“Yeah, that too.”

Dale hurried through the rest of the gifts and shared more laughs with his friends over the gift cards to the mall, baby tees from Old Navy and Aeropostale. Kyle Turner bought her some pepper spray.

The laughs continued and Dale spent the rest of the night catching everyone up on Ashlyn’s recovery.

**

Dale unloaded the last box of presents and put them in one of the guest rooms in his house. He looked forward to the humor to come when he gave them to Ashlyn and Lindsay. He glanced at the box full of 37 packages of tampons and 20 packs of maxi pads. ‘That oughta last for at least a year.’

He looked at the stack of mail he’d retrieved from his mailbox. Tossing the junk mail and fliers into the garbage, he came across an envelope from Vanderbilt Medical Center. Tearing it open he pulled the folded papers from inside. When he unfolded the paper he realized it was the bill. His eyes widened when he saw the amount that was due.

“Jesus,” he muttered not believing how high the bill was. He should have expected it to be high, since Ashlyn had spent a month in the hospital. He was severely tight with his money. He may have a lot of money but that didn’t mean he was going to be foolish with it. He wanted to make sure he knew what he was putting his money into and if it was worth it. The guys at his shop joked that you could hear a squeak when he walked. But the shops bills didn’t compare to hospital bills that saved his daughter’s life.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty Four

“How many hours have you put in this week?” Christy asked as leaned against the counter surrounding the nurses’ station. She watched a hunched of Lindsay scribbling away on a stray piece of paper that she had pulled out of one of the binders that contained their resident’s charts.

“What day is it?” Lindsay replied as she finished writing up the summary of the day’s events of one of her residents. She popped open the binder and slid the paper back into its place, before snapping the prongs closed. She found it easier to write with the paper removed from the binder.

“Why are you doing this?” Christy made her way through the half door to behind the desk, grabbing one of the office chairs and sat down.

“I need the money Christy,” Lindsay said as she flipped a couple pages in the binder coming to another resident’s chart.

“Lindsay…”

“I missed a whole paycheck Chris,” Lindsay threw her pen down, leaning back in her chair. “I missed a paycheck but the bill company didn’t care. They still sent my bills to me. They are still expecting to be paid. Not to mention the bill the hospital will be sending soon.” Rubbing her face, she looked at the clock on the wall, sighing when she saw she still had another two hours of work. She was dead tired on her feet after working a double shit. She had worked third shift during the night, then her normal first shift.

“So ask Dale to help you,” she shrugged as if it was the easiest thing to do. When she heard the news, Christy was shocked to say the least. She had never expected her friend to be hiding a secret that big.

Lindsay shook her head, “I can’t do that.”

“Why not? Ashlyn is his responsibility too,” Christy said. “And judging by what you’ve been saying, he wants to help and be there for Ashlyn.”

“My bills aren’t his problem.”

“Ashlyn’s are though,” Christy pointed out. “See if Dale can help with the hospital bill.”

Lindsay shook her head, but didn’t reply. She should ask Dale for help with the hospital bill. It wasn’t wrong of her. But what would happen if she asked him for help and he said no? Then turned around and used that against her in court if he tried suing for custody? ‘No,’ she thought. ‘Not giving him ammunition.’

“You’re too damn stubborn,” Christy shook her head. “We’re going out to dinner Friday,” she said speaking of her husband and daughter. “You and Ashlyn want to join us? Thinking about heading up to Bowling Green.”

“I’m working this weekend,” Lindsay shook her head, grabbing her pen and starting the annotations in the chart she had left off on. “Ashlyn might like to go though.”

“Linds…”

“I picked it up,” she said not looking up, knowing her friend was sending her a disapproving look. “Not only are bills gonna kill me, but Christmas is coming up.”

Christy sighed and stood up, “Alright. Seriously Lindsay, you need to talk to Dale.” She gave Lindsay’s shoulder a squeeze. “Let me know if Ashlyn wants to go with us,” she said before walking from the nurses’ station and heading back to her hall.

**

Lindsay walked into the house a couple hours later after finishing her shift. She kicked her shoes off inside the door and made her way to the kitchen thumbing through the mail. Coming across a plain white card envelope with no return address she furrowed her brows wondering what it was.

‘What the hell,’ she thought, sliding her thumb underneath the flap and tearing it open. Pulling out the white notebook paper she flipped it open, frowning as she read the words.

You may think you’ve won him over. But he’ll soon grow tired of playing house. You’re not his type or kind. Do yourself a favor and stay away from him. You won’t win.

Lindsay’s frowned increased as she reread the letter. She inspected the paper hoping to find something that pointed to who had sent the letter. She knew it was too much to hope that the mailman had made an error and dropped it into her mailbox by mistake not when it had her name addressed on the front. She examined the outside of the envelope, but there was no indication where the letter had come from.

Her mind began to work when she saw that the mail was postmarked in Charlotte. ‘Charlotte…’ she wondered her eyebrows scrunching in confusion. She knew the letter wasn’t from Dale, considering what the contents were, but that didn’t mean they could have come from a family member. “That doesn’t make sense…” 

“What doesn’t make sense?”

Lindsay whirled around at the voice and found Ashlyn walking into the kitchen. She had forgotten that her daughter was home and silently cursed herself for reading the letter where Ashlyn could have seen her. She stuffed the letter and the envelope into one of the pockets of her scrub pants and put a smile on her face.

“Just some stuff from work,” she lied, walking towards Ashlyn giving her a hug. “How was school? Aren’t you supposed to be meeting Mrs. Reed?”

“Yeah,” Ashlyn broke away from her mother, heading to the fridge were she pulled out a Pepsi. “But she had to cancel because one of her kids had a doctor’s appointment today. Anna’s gonna come over later and help me.”

“Okay,” Lindsay opened the freezer wondering what they were going to have for supper. She hadn’t taken anything out since she went into work last night. Pursing her lips she stared at the dismal contents and sighed. They desperately needed to go grocery shopping. 

“I laid chicken out last night, Momma,” Ashlyn pointed towards the stove where two chicken breasts laid on a plate. 

“You’re a lifesaver,” Lindsay smiled appreciatively. “I’m gonna go take a shower and I’ll start supper okay?”

“I hope there is hot water left,” Ashlyn cringed. “I uh, kinda took a long shower/bath when I got home from school.”

“A shower bath?” Lindsay question.

“Well I kinda hurt…” Ashlyn started slowly, not wanting her mother to worry. 

“Are you okay?” Lindsay fretted. “You need to go to the doctor?”

“No, Momma, I was just sore,” she shook her head. “I just soaked in the bath. Then I took a hot shower to wash up.”

“Are you sure?” Lindsay asked worried. 

“Yes Momma. I took some Tylenol when I got home,” Ashlyn rolled her eyes. “Relax Mom…”

Lindsay sighed and moved to her daughter. “Alright, I’m sorry. Just tell me if it gets worse and the Tylenol doesn’t work, okay?”

“Yeah,” Ashlyn said.

“Good. I need to shower,” Lindsay kissed her daughter’s forehead on her way out of the kitchen.

Lindsay sat down at her computer after her shower and waited for it to boot up. Remembering the letter she went to the laundry basket and dug it from her scrubs. Moving back to her computer, she read the letter one more time before ripping it up into tiny pieces, letting it fall into her trash can.

‘Probably one of Dale’s fans that don’t like the fact that I had his child,’ she shrugged and sat down. She wasn’t going to worry over a letter from someone she didn’t know. She gave a small smile as she stared at her background of the Rocky Mountains and the pristine white snow that covered them against the bright blue sky. Every time she looked at her desktop, her mind shifted back to Telluride. It was especially nice to come home from a rough day, boot up her computer and reminisce

Lindsay skimmed over the news, reading the headlines seeing if any popped out at her to read then moved to her e-mail where her inbox seemed to be full of junk. After deleting her e-mail she went back to Yahoo homepage and stopped. Her fingers tapped against the keys as she debated if she wanted to or not.

“What the hell,” she said and typed her name into the search bar and waited to see if anything came up. Her eyes wandered over the search results, noticing the same article that had appeared in the sports page of their paper. 

She frowned in confusion when she saw a page claiming to have pictures and updated information about her. Curiosity getting the better of her, she clicked on the link and waited for the page to load. Her jaw fell open in a gasp as the page loaded and the picture came into view.

There on the Internet was a picture of her and Dale sleeping together on the sofa inside of Ashlyn’s hospital room. She stared at the picture in shock. Scrolling down she saw another picture right below it of her and Dale holding hands in the courtyard of the hospital as they made their way back inside the building. She had never thought that someone would take pictures of them and post them on the Internet.

Moving down the page, Lindsay saw those were the only two pictures posted and they already had a bunch of comments in reply. She felt tears well in her eyes as she read some of the comments, where the majority of them defacing her in some way. The remarks cut her skin. ‘How could these people say these things?’

Ashlyn frowned as she stood in the doorway of her mother’s room. Lindsay hadn’t noticed her yet and she took the time to observe her. Her eyes were drooping complete with bags underneath them. She felt as if her mother could fall asleep sitting in the chair. After getting out of school, Ashlyn had come home to start a load of laundry and swept the living room floor. She knew her mother would be exhausted after her double shit and she didn’t want her coming home to housework.

She moved into Lindsay’s bedroom waiting for her to acknowledge her presence. Seeing her mother staring intently at the computer screen she glanced at the screen looking at the wed address. Her eyes quickly shot to her mother’s face when she heard the sniffle and saw Lindsay’s hand move to wipe her eyes.

“Momma?” Ashlyn asked softly.

Lindsay jumped and turned around seeing her daughter behind her. “Ashlyn, sweetie, you need to quit sneaking up on me.” She told her and quickly closed out the webpage. She moved the mouse to the start button and shut her computer down. She quickly wiped away the stray tears and stood up, putting a smile on her face. “Let’s go see about supper huh? Are you hungry?”

“Starving,” Ashlyn said as they walked from the bedroom, the website address etched in her mind.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter Thirty Five

Dale pulled into Lindsay’s driveway Wednesday afternoon. He was set to fly out to Phoenix tomorrow for the second to the last race of the season. When he was unable to get to Kentucky in the last week, he made sure to clear his schedule so he would be able to stop overnight and spend time with Ashlyn before heading onto Arizona.

With two more races left in the season, Dale was probably happier than most to have the season over with. Last week at Texas, they had taken a gamble during the race and ran out of gas with five to go. The final nail in their coffin was when they were unable to get the car re-fired, going down two laps, losing another position in the points. After starting out the chase third in points, they sure weren’t sealing the deal or making any type of threats. He just wanted to get Phoenix and Homestead over and head into the off season where he could spend time with his daughter.

Ringing the doorbell, he stood back and waited. He didn’t know if anyone was home. Lindsay’s car was not in the driveway. Looking at his watch he saw that it was nearing four in the afternoon and she should have been home from work already. Chewing on his bottom lip, he reached into his pocket, digging out his cell phone intent on calling her when the front door opened with his daughter on the other side.

“Ashlyn,” Dale smiled, tucking his phone back in his pocket.

“Hi,” Ashlyn looked at him. She had still yet to fully come to terms with the man outside the threshold as her father. It seemed too surreal in her eyes. She was getting more attention in school from the students when she had returned. They all thought how cool it was to have such a famous guy for a father. Girls that never bothered talking to her before came up to say hi on a daily basis. Boys were giving her second looks.

She didn’t understand the way she was feeling about the fact. Here he was, her father; the man that she prayed about every night. He was calling her, e-mailing her and visiting her, he was a part of her life, just like she always dreamt he would be. She should be happy; she should be talking to him, hanging out with him. But every time he called or showed up, she didn’t know what to say or how to act.

Dale frowned, watching emotions flitter across Ashlyn’s face. He knew they had a long road ahead of them to find the relationship that was right for them. He never figured for open arms and tears, but he expected… Well he didn’t know what he expected. But he was sure; the shy girl in front of him was not it.

“Can I come in?”

“Yeah, sure…” Ashlyn pulled open the door, allowing Dale to come in. “Mom’s not here. She’s working…again.” She shut the door and walked into the kitchen where she had been before the doorbell rang. “I was making myself a sandwich. Do you want one?”

Dale shook his head, “No thanks.” If Lindsay was working, this would be a perfect opportunity to talk to Ashlyn. “I’m uh, on my way to Phoenix…decided to stop in and see you.”

“That’s nice,” Ashlyn said, concentrating on putting mustard on her bread. She didn’t know what to talk about, what to say to him. She wished her mother was here; she’d know what to say.

“How are you feeling?” Dale pressed.

“I’m okay, aches and pains…I feel older than I actually am,” Ashlyn felt a small smile grace her lips when she heard Dale laugh.

“Heh, getting old sucks,” he nodded knowingly as he felt his bones ache more and more everyday.

Ashlyn sighed when the phone rang and walked to the counter picking up the receiver. She looked at the caller ID and sighed. She hit the off key and put the phone back. Turning around she saw Dale looking curiously at her.

“Reporters,” Ashlyn told him. “They call here everyday.”

“Fuck,” Dale swore, pissed that his daughter and Lindsay were being hassled. The media spotlight surrounding him had died within the last week. He’d get the occasional questions from nosy reporters, but for the most part, they had all moved on to cover the championship race between Carl and Jimmie. He was also upset that neither Lindsay nor Ashlyn mentioned the harassment before now. 

“We just don’t answer,” she shrugged as it was no big deal. They had grown used to not answering the phone. She grabbed a Pepsi from the fridge, offering one to Dale, before grabbing her own. Making her way into the living room she sat down on the couch, flipping through the channels, settling on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit that was airing on USA.

“How late in Lindsay working?” Dale asked after a few moments of silence.

“Eleven, she is working another double,” Ashlyn sighed missing the moments she spent with her mother. It seemed like all she ever did was go to work. She wanted to go back to how it was before the accident when Lindsay worked first shift and every other weekend.

Dale raised his eye brows, “Another double?” He frowned, catching sadness in his daughter’s voice. He picked up that this wasn’t a one time thing with Lindsay. “How many doubles has she worked?”

“A lot,” she sighed, looking down at floor. She felt bad for talking about her mother. “She either picks up the night shift or stays for second. Then works at least a day on her weekend off.” 

Dale digested the information. The last time he had talked to Lindsay she had never mentioned working extra hours. He then remembered how tired she seemed. And how he had chalked it up to rough day at work or just a bad night. He should have pressed until she told him what as wrong. But he didn’t figure she’d open up to him.

“It just sucks,” Ashlyn continued. “She’s working all the time. She never used to do this. I mean she picked up a couple days and such here and there, more so around the holidays for extra money, but never like this. She worked the weekend which was her weekend off and now she’s working another double tonight and Friday.”

‘That has to be a lot of hours…’ Dale thought about the hours Lindsay had already put into the pay period. “Do you know why she’s working so much?” 

Ashlyn shook her head, “No, we hardly see each other. She’s usually exhausted when she gets home. I heard her talkin’ to Gramma about money and bills.” She stopped talking as a thought entered her head. “Is this because of me?”

He shook his head, confused. “What do you mean because of you?”

“I spent a lot of time in the hospital,” she started, her voice slowly fading as she talked. “I know that can’t be cheap…is Momma working to pay for it? Is that why?”

Dale didn’t doubt for a minute that that was the reason Lindsay had been putting in so many hours at work. She was expecting a hospital bill from Nashville and was worrying about how she was going to pay it. Of course she didn’t know that he had already paid the bill and she wouldn’t be receiving one.

“I don’t know why, Ash,” Dale said to his daughter. “I didn’t know she was working like this. She never told me,” he saw Ashlyn quickly take a swipe at her face and reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Hey,” he scooted closer, draping his arm around her shoulders. “It’s not because of you. It’s not your fault okay? Your mother doesn’t have to worry about the hospital bill because I already paid it.”

“Wh…what?”

“I paid it. I haven’t told Lindsay yet,” he told her truthfully, wanting to stop her crying. “If that’s the reason she’s working, I’ll tell her tonight so she doesn’t have to worry about it. Okay?”

“She’s gonna be mad,” Ashlyn sniffled, wishing she hadn’t started crying. But she didn’t want to be the reason her mother was pushing herself and picking up so many hours. 

“I’ll deal with that when it happens,” he told her. And hoped it wouldn’t be a bad conversation once he told her.

“She’s not using you for your money is she?” Ashlyn asked. Seeing the look on Dale’s face made her regret the question. But it had been plaguing her mind since she read the comments posted on the Internet a couple days ago. 

“What? Where did you hear that!”

“Well… I caught Momma looking at this one site….”

“Don’t,” Dale shook his head, interrupting his daughter. “Don’t look at those sites. They are written by people that have too much time on their hands. They think it’s their business to post shit about drivers and their families.”

“I don’t, it’s just that Momma was looking at it and she was crying…she said it was nothing when I asked about it. I didn’t believe her, so I pulled up the webpage myself.”

“Damnit,” Dale whispered, thinking of Lindsay reading some of the trash that gets posted on the Internet. He could only imagine what was being said about her. He learned a long time ago not to read what is written about him. He should have made sure Lindsay knew to take everything with a grain of salt. He could only imagine what had made her cry.

“Listen,” he told Ashlyn, making sure she was looking at him. “Don’t pull up gossip sites and read what gets posted about me or your mother. If you want to know something, ask me. I will not lie to you.”

“Is Momma a pit lizard?”

“No!” Dale furiously shook his head. He should have guessed the comments that Lindsay had found had been posted by other females that thought they had half a chance with him. And who would deface any woman he had with him. “You’re mother is not a pit lizard or anything close to that. She’s a beautiful, intelligent woman.”

“Do you love her?” Ashlyn asked pointedly.

“I uh… I… Well…” Dale stuttered, not expecting the question. “It’s complicated,” he finally said. Complicated that he didn’t even know his feelings for Lindsay. That was something he still had to sort out himself. “How about we watch a movie?” He quickly said, hoping to change the subject.

“Sure,” Ashlyn shrugged her shoulders, grinning. Her father may not have said so, but she saw it written across his face. 

**

Dale yawned and stood up, raising his arms above his head, stretching. Looking at the clock on the cable box he saw it was after eleven and knew Lindsay should be pulling into the driveway soon. Ashlyn’s words never left his mind all night about Lindsay’s working habits. And he was going to make it a point to talk to her about it. With him in the picture now, Lindsay didn’t need to be working so much. She could be with Ashlyn more. Of course, he didn’t know how well that would go over with her, especially since she had read what had been written about her. It was likely to make her work twice as hard, just to prove that she didn’t need or want his money.

Going into the kitchen, he grabbed another Pepsi from the fridge. As he was walking back to the living room he past the counter where a stack of mail laid. Looking over his shoulder making sure that Ashlyn hadn’t wakened and came to get a drink, he reached for the mail. Thumbing threw he took notice of the bills that she had, seeing the usual, mortgage, car and utilities. He pulled the mortgage payment from the already opened envelope and looked over the note seeing a sizeable amount still left on the loan.

‘Least I can provide a roof over my daughter’s head,’ he reasoned writing down the loan number and bank the note was through. He briefly wondered how painful his death would be once Lindsay found out what he had done. ‘It’d be worth it,’ he thought, flipping through the rest of the envelopes. His gaze caught hold of an envelope still lying on the counter. It had been off to the side and he figured it had come in the day’s mail and Ashlyn had tossed it to the counter. Snatching it up he saw that it was from the life flight company that had transported Ashlyn to Nashville.

Laying the rest of the mail back on the counter, Dale held the bill in his hand. He had forgotten about the life flight and how the bill would have come separately from the hospital. Seeing headlights through the window, he quickly folded the envelope in half and stuffed it in the back pocket of his jeans before moving to the living room and waiting for Lindsay to walk through the door. He hoped she wasn’t tired; he had a lot to talk to her about.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter Thirty Six

Lindsay sat in her car, staring at the rental vehicle parked in her driveway. He was here. She had absolutely no fight in her tonight, not after pulling a double. She was set to come home and go straight to bed. It was gonna be tough to know if she’d even undress before collapsing on her bed. Now those plans were foiled because Dale decided to drop by unannounced. 

Sighing, she pulled her keys from the ignition and pushed the door opened. As she made her way to the front door, her mind worked trying to come up with ideas as to why he was here. By the time she opened the front door, she was no where near an answer than she had been sitting in the car. ‘Maybe I’ll get lucky and he’ll be sleeping,’ she thought, slowly inching the door closed.

Turning around she let out a breath when she saw that she was alone. The only lights that were in the house, were the ones flickering from the television as a late night show was turned down low. She stepped cautiously, hoping to walk unnoticed past the living room to the stairs.

Lindsay froze when the hall was flooded with light. Blinking rapidly against the onset of glare, she shielded her eyes before looking in front of her, seeing Dale leaning against the door jam of the kitchen, arms crossed.

“Probably see better with a light,” Dale said. When Lindsay hadn’t come right in, he moved into the kitchen where he could see her car and watched her make her way into the house. 

“Yeah, that would help,” Lindsay dropped her hand when her eyes adjusted but made no move.

“Had a free day, so I came to see Ashlyn,” Dale offered, knowing that he really didn’t need to give her a reason.

“How did that go?” She asked carefully trying to judge Dale’s attitude.

“Good, good,” he told her. “We need to talk.”

Lindsay quickly covered the look of shock that washed over her face. Those words held a bigger meaning to her. ‘Here is comes,’ her mind rushed. ‘This is where he tells you he’s taking Ashlyn.’

‘Least he had the decency to tell you himself instead of through lawyers,’ her conscious rebutted.

Dale watched the emotions running over Lindsay face and he wondered what else she was hiding from him besides working too hard and the website she visited. He hoped by the end of their talk she would open up to him; let him in to take care of some of the problems she carried on her shoulders. “Would you like something to drink, eat first?” He offered, knowing that she’d probably want at least one after the long day.

“Sure…” Lindsay managed, but she didn’t think she’d be able to choke anything down. She didn’t know why he was being nice about this, wishing he would just come out and say it. Lindsay, I’m taking our daughter.

“Lindsay?” He asked when she didn’t answer his question. He placed a hand on her shoulder.

Lindsay jolted, turning wide eyes on Dale. ‘Quit being nice to me!’ Her mind screamed.

“I asked what you wanted.” Dale frowned. “Are you alright? Come on,” he ushered her into the living room, sitting her down on the couch. “I’ll get you something.” He went back into the kitchen were he quickly put together a sandwich for her and grabbed a Pepsi. “Here, eat up,” he sat handing her the plate.

“Th..thanks,” Lindsay mumbled taking the plate from Dale. She took a bite from the sandwich her stomach happy to have more than just a Snickers® from the vending machine during supper.

“Hungry?” Dale raised an eyebrow watching her wolf the sandwich down. He chuckled at her nod as she took another bite. Once she was finished, he took the plate back to the kitchen before settling down on the couch next to her.

“You… you wanted to talk?” 

“Why didn’t you tell me you’ve been working so many hours?” Dale came right out. He saw the questioning gaze and said, “Ashlyn told me tonight that you were working a double. One of many that you’ve worked in the last few weeks.”

“I’m helping out,” she lied, diverting her gaze.

“Helping out is one here or there, not a couple a week, Linds,” he told her. “Why? You can’t work that much, your body can’t handle it.”

“Don’t tell me what my body can or can’t handle,” Lindsay snapped. “I handled college and a newborn infant, I can handle a few extra hours.”

Dale gritted his teeth, holding back the retort that was on the tip of his tongue. He didn’t want to fight; he wanted to get to the bottom of why she was keeping things from him. “Linds…”

“I need the money, alright,” she blurted, pushing herself off of the couch. She didn’t want to talk about her problems with him. She didn’t want him getting anything to use against her and not being able to fully provide for Ashlyn like he could was a major check in the box. “I missed a paycheck while Ashlyn was in the hospital, alright. That’s why I picked up the extra hours. I need to get caught up.”

It had never entered his brain, that while Lindsay was sitting with Ashlyn at the hospital that she wasn’t getting paid. He had assumed she was working to pay for the hospital bill. “Vacation days…”

“I used them all up during the week she was gone,” Lindsay cut him off. She stood in front of the window, staring out into the night sky. “After that, I was just on a leave of absence – no pay.”

“You should have said something…” Dale told her. If he had known he would have kept her up to date on her bills.

“I don’t want your money Dale,” Lindsay said stubbornly. “I can pay my bills just fine; it’s a little tight this month, that’s all.” ‘And next,’ her mind echoed.

“You weren’t saying that last month when you came to me,” Dale retorted, his anger building. Seeing her back stiffen he immediately regretted the words. He knew the comments on the Internet, helped make her more self conscious. “I didn’t mean that…”

“Yeah you did or you wouldn’t have said it,” she said tightlipped, watching the taillights of a car disappear down the road.

“Damnit,” he ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “Listen to me,” he said and when she didn’t turn around, he clenched his fists. ‘Damn stubborn woman.’ “I’m offering to help,” he said slowly, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. “I’m here now, I’m not going anywhere. I want to help you. I want to provide for Ashlyn.”

“Providing for Ashlyn is not paying my bills,” Lindsay said, wishing she could just let him help her. She didn’t want to work anymore extra hours. She wanted to come home from work and spend time with her daughter.

Dale took a deep breath letting it out slowly. She was certainly trying his patience. “Making sure your mortgage is paid so you have a roof over your head. Making sure your car doesn’t get repoed so you can get back and forth to work, take her to school and doctor’s appointments. Having electricity to heat the house so you won’t freeze and cook meals so you won’t starve. The phone bill in case there is an emergency you can call for help. Do you want me to keep going?”

“Don’t be such a smart ass…”

“I can’t help it,” Dale shrugged. “It comes naturally.”

Lindsay felt a smile tug at her lips and fought to keep a straight face. She saw Dale’s reflection in the pane glass and watched as he walked closer to her. Her stomach somersaulted and her heart pounded against her chest as she waited for his next move.

“Let me help, Linds,” he said softly. “Let me do this.”

Lindsay shivered hearing his words so close behind her. She bit her bottom lip, fighting the urge to turn around and move into his arms. Everyone had been telling her to let Dale help her. They weren’t going to think any less of her and didn’t make her any less of a parent by asking for help. ‘He still could take her from you,’ her mind told her as she felt herself beginning to cave. Blocking the voice from her head, she slowly nodded.

“Good,” Dale let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, happy that he was finally getting somewhere with Lindsay. “Now I need to tell you something, but I need you to look at me.” He reached forward, turning her around to face him. When his blue eyes met her green ones, he was held captive; memories and feelings rushing upon him. The sound of the heater kicking on broke the moment and he shook his head.

“What did you want to tell me?” Lindsay whispered, feeling the tension in the air.

“Don’t believe what you read on the Internet,” he started, seeing her eyes widen. “People with too much time on their hands right that shit and looking to stir the pot. My family knows you’re not after money, and most importantly, I know you’re not. I know without a doubt that Ashlyn is my daughter and this isn’t a scam to get money.”

“I…” Lindsay opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say. She wondered how he knew that she had been reading comments and articles on the Internet. ‘Ashlyn,’ she thought, remembering how her daughter had caught her staring at a web page.

“I’ll tell you the same thing I told Ashlyn earlier,” he continued. “If you want to know anything, ask me. You’ll get the truth from me and not from someone’s blog. Just because it’s on the Internet doesn’t mean it’s true, okay?”

Lindsay nodded, it helped a little with Dale saying that, but it still hurt seeing the remarks made about her, the name calling from people that didn’t even know her. She knew Dale long before he came famous… fell in love with him when he was just a guy from North Carolina. The one, she thought that knew her best.

Dale took her hand in his, leading her back to the couch, where he sat down next to her. He stared at their joined hands, his thumb rubbing over the back of her hand. He opened his mind, letting memories flood him. How her body against his as they moved together in front of the fire place. The cold against their cheeks as they played in the snow outside the cabin. 

“I need to go to bed,” Lindsay whispered, making no effort to move from the couch. 

“Wait,” Dale spoke up. He didn’t want to wait until tomorrow to ask her.

“Yeah?” Lindsay tilted her head up, looking at him.

“Can Ashlyn spend Thanksgiving with me and my family?”

“Dale…I…” Lindsay turned away, staring at the blank television screen. She tugged her hand, trying to pull it from Dale’s, but he tightened his grip. He wanted her for Thanksgiving; a holiday that meant so much to them.

“You can come too,” Dale kept hold of her hand, not allowing her to pull away. “And Grace. I want to introduce her to my family.”

“I can’t…” Lindsay said softly. “I already said I’d work,” she sighed, knowing she was going to give in. Ashlyn going to North Carolina would help her relationship with her father. It was what they needed. “Alright, we’ll talk to her tomorrow. But she can go.”

“Thank you,” Dale squeezed her hand. “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me,” she gave him a small smile, followed by a yawn. “I need to go to bed. I have to take Ashlyn to school tomorrow.” She let go of his hand and gave his knee a pat before standing up. “The guest room is ready, do you need anything?”

Dale shook his head, standing while Lindsay locked the front door before following her upstairs and down the hallway. “Good night, Lindsay.”

“Good night, Dale,” Lindsay smiled as she turned away. “I’m glad you’re here,” she said softly.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter Thirty Seven

“What are you doing out here by yourself?” Brenda asked as she pulled her coat tighter around her frame, trying to block out the late November morning chill. She sat next to her granddaughter on the steps of Dale’s back deck following her gaze to stare out over the open view. Seeing Ashlyn shrug, she tried a different approach. 

“I know this has to be overwhelming. There are a lot of people in there. Don’t let them get to you. Everyone wants to get to know you. The next family get-together won’t be this chaotic…” she paused a moment before smiling. “Actually it will be. It’s always this rambunctious when we all get together.”

“It’s not that,” Ashlyn said softly giving a slight shiver. She stuffed her hands deeper into the pocket of her winter coat wishing she had picked a room in the house to hide in. It had to be much warmer than it was outside.

“What’s wrong sweetie?” Brenda asked, moving closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

“Just thinking about a couple things,” she looked up at the older woman. This woman was supposed to be her grandmother. Inside she had cousins, aunts, uncles, great-grandparents, but most importantly inside, she had a father.

“It’s okay Ashlyn,” she gave her shoulder a rub. “You don’t have to tell me. But so you know, if you ever want to talk, you can always come to me.”

“Do I have to call you grandma?” Ashlyn blurted out then ducked her head when she felt Brenda’s gaze.

“Well…uh…no, my dear,” Brenda stuttered out, caught off guard by the question. “You don’t have to call me grandma. You can call me whatever you want.”

“But you are my grandma.” Ashlyn tried to reason. “That means I should call you grandma. I call my other grandma, grandma.”

“Yes, but you’ve known her your whole life. We just met.” Brenda sighed and tried to think about the words she wanted to say. “Ashlyn, sweetie, I would love for you to call me grandma, but I know you aren’t ready.”

“When will I be ready?”

“Only you can know,” she felt the girl beside her sigh and gave a slight chuckle. “I know that wasn’t the answer you wanted to hear. But it’s true. Only you will know when you are ready.”

“How?”

“I’m not sure.” Brenda told her truthfully. “I’ve never been in a situation like this. I’d like to think that you’ll just know. One day you’ll see me and just think, ‘grandma’ or maybe you won’t even notice it at all and just start calling me grandma without realizing you’re doing it.”

“You’re not mad that I don’t call you grandma?” Ashlyn asked.

“No I’m not mad. How could I be mad? You just came into my life and I’ve very thankful for that.”

“Is Dale mad that I don’t call him dad?”

“No he’s not.” Brenda said hugging her. “He’s just happy that you’re here and safe. He can get to know you and make up for lost time. You’ll call him dad when you’re ready to.”

“Are you mad at mom? For keeping me away?”

“No, I’m not mad at your mother.” Brenda told her grandchild, truthfully. “She had her reasons for not telling Dale. As much as I wish that she would have told Dale about you so you could have been in our lives, I can’t be mad. It’s all in the past and you’re here with us now.”

“I miss her.”

“Oh honey, you’re going to see her again in a couple days. We’re not going to keep you from her.”

“It’s just that this was my favorite holiday. Depending on if Mom was working we’d all cook Thanksgiving dinner together. We’d turn the radio on and dance around the kitchen while cooking. We’d have so much fun. While the turkey is roasting, we’d sit down at the table and each make a list of everything that were thankful for. Then we fold the papers up and stick them on the fridge and after we said grace, we’d read our lists.”

“That’s a very good tradition,” Brenda smiled. She couldn’t believe how wonderful this girl was. 

“After we eat and clean up, we’d draw straws to see who got the wishbone,” Ashlyn grinned. “I always won. Gramma always got the short one.” She giggled. “Guess she’ll win this time,” she said quietly.

“What else did you do on Thanksgiving?” Brenda pressed, trying to keep her granddaughter in good spirits.

“Well after everything was cleaned up and if it was snowing and there was a lot of snow on the ground, we’d go outside and play. One year we had a bunch of snow and we made a snowman. Then we’d come inside and mom would fix us hot chocolate.” Ashlyn smiled. “If it wasn’t snowing we’d go change into sweatpants,” she giggled. “Momma always said it was too darn uncomfortable to wear pants after eating Thanksgiving dinner.”

Brenda laughed. “That is very true.”

“Well we’d turn on the football game. Gramma would wear her John Elway jersey. Said no matter where she lived, her Broncos would always be number one. Momma would wear her Brett Favre jersey. She loves him. She used to be a Packer fan, but she had to trade in her Packer jersey for a Jet one.”

“What about you? Who do you cheer for?”

“Redskins.”

“Really?” Brenda smiled, wondering if she knew that was Dale’s favorite team. “Why them?”

“Well momma said I could pick whoever I wanted. I didn’t have to cheer for the Broncos or the Packers. There were so many teams to choose from! It was a tough decision.”

“I bet it was,” Brenda laughed.

“But the Redskins always seemed to be the underdogs. So I started cheering for them to win.” Ashlyn couldn’t help the smile that crossed her face. “Plus the Cowboys were Brandon’s favorite team. I liked giving him a hard time. So when the Redskins were playing them, I started cheering for them. I even bet him a can of pop they would win.”

“Did you win?” 

“I sure did! He was so mad. He shook up my can of pop before he handed it to me.”

“Well that wasn’t very nice.”

“Well neither was opening the can in his face.” Ashlyn’s laughter was soon joined by Brenda’s.

“No it wasn’t.” Brenda tried to stifle her laugh, but found it hard before finally giving up.

“Momma didn’t think so either when I was called to the principal’s office and she had to bring a change of clothes for me.” Ashlyn giggled remembering the look on her mother’s face when she walked into the principal’s office carrying a bag of clothes. “She was so mad. Gramma thought it was funny. Momma did too eventually. I was still grounded for a week though.”

“Did you learn your lesson?”

“Of course,” Ashlyn grinned up at Brenda. “Next time the Redskins played the Cowboys, we bet fifty cents to go buy our own can.”

“You’re silly,” Brenda shook her head. She caught a movement behind her and saw her son lingering at the door, looking out at them questioning. “What do you say we go back in? I think your daddy is getting worried.”

Ashlyn looked behind them and saw Dale looking at them. “He won’t hover over me will he?”

“You’ll have to cut him a break. He’s new at this.” Brenda stood up offering her hand to Ashlyn, pulling her to stand. “Let’s go back in.”

“Can I help?” Ashlyn asked as they made their way across the deck to the sliding glass door.

“Sure you can,” Brenda smiled down at her, pulling her against her in a side hug. She leaned down, kissing the top of Ashlyn’s head. “How good are you at peeling potatoes?” She asked as they walked into the kitchen. She met Dale’s eyes and sent him a wink.

“Momma says I’m the best potato peeler.” Ashlyn grinned. Climbing up on the stool sitting at the counter, she watched as Brenda sat the items she needed in front of her.

“Have at it babe,” Brenda said as she handed Ashlyn the knife. She stood back and watched as Ashlyn began peeling the skins then cutting the vegetable in half and throwing it in the pan that sat next to her.

Dale moved to step next to his mom and watched his daughter. “She okay?” He had been worried about her since he had picked her up from Lindsay’s the day before. He hoped with his family being here today would have helped break her out of her shell. But so far, she kept quiet and to herself.

“She’s fine,” Brenda smiled at her son, giving his bicep a squeeze. “She just feels overwhelmed right now. Give her time, June. Her world has been turn upside down.”

“That’s not my fault,” Junior muttered.

“It’s no ones fault. If you have problems with Lindsay, take it up with her. Do not put that girl in the middle.” Brenda gave him a final look before walking from the kitchen.


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter Thirty Eight

“Alex!” Grace gasped as she opened the door revealing the cop. She gave him a quick hug and a peak on the cheek before allowing him to enter. “Come in.”

“Thanks,” Alex smiled and sniffed the air. “It smells wonderful!” He shimmied out of hit coat, hanging it on the coat rack.

“Thanks,” Grace smiled as she went back into the kitchen where she checked on the turkey she had in the oven. “What brings you over here?”

“Thought I’d come over and spend Thanksgiving with my best girls,” Alex grinned. “You know how it is in the Barnes household; can only spend so much time before you have to get out.”

“Well you’re always welcome here,” Grace told him. “We’re eating late again this year. Lindsay picked up the morning shift at work.”

“She’s working a lot,” Alex said nonchalantly as he peeked into the covered pot on the stove. He grinned seeing the noodles. He loved Grace’s noodles.

“I’ve tried talking with her,” Grace said as she picked up the potato peeler she had before the door rang and got back to the potatoes. “She’s cut down a little since Dale talked to her. I don’t know what he said to her, but I wish he’d say it again.”

Alex gritted his teeth, “I see he took her to North Carolina. How is that going?”

“Lindsay’s a little upset that Ashlyn’s not here, but she knows that this is good for Ashlyn and Dale’s relationship.”

“He had to take her over a holiday?”

“They talked about it and worked it out. It’s just a little rough for Lindsay right now.”

“I still think she should be here spending Thanksgiving with her mother,” Alex mumbled.

“Just as much as she should be spending Thanksgiving with her father,” Grace glared at the man. “What is your problem with him?”

“I just don’t want Lindsay and Ashlyn to get blindsided by the fame and money,” Alex said. “He’s gonna swoop down, offer nice things spending a month or two with Ashlyn, before he decides that having a daughter is hurting his image and he drops her for the latest piece of ass that’s throwing herself at him.”

“Alexander,” Grace slammed her knife down on the counter, turning around to look at him. “You did not spend time with him while he was here. You did not see him crying and pleading for Ashlyn to wake up. The minute he walked through that door, he rubbed the wrong way with you. I don’t know what it is, if you see him as a threat but that is Ashlyn’s father. And he has done nothing to warrant your displeasure.”

“Alright,” Alex held up his hands in defeat. “Sorry.” He apologized to Grace, but that didn’t mean he was going to play nice with Dale. He knew it would only be a matter of time before he broke Lindsay and Ashlyn’s heart.

**

“Happy Thanksgiving Momma,” Ashlyn smiled into the phone. She felt a lump rise in her throat hearing her mom’s voice. 

“Happy Thanksgiving, baby,” Lindsay smiled and sat down at the kitchen table. “How’s your visit going?” She asked, holding her breath awaiting her daughter’s answer.

“It’s okay.” Ashlyn whispered, shutting the door to Dale’s office. She crossed across the room, sitting down in the black leather desk chair that sat behind the oak desk. “I miss you Momma. I wanna come home.”

Lindsay closed her eyes at her daughter’s words. She had been so caught up in Dale being able to sway Ashlyn toward everything that he could offer her, that she underestimated her own daughter. Her mother was right; she raised Ashlyn better than that. “Why baby? What’s going on? Don’t you like it there?”

“It’s okay,” Ashlyn sighed. “Everyone is nice. Dale’s place is huge. He even built his own western town on his land. But…it’s not home.”

“Oh baby,” she sighed and met her mother’s eyes. As much as she wanted to say that she could come home, she couldn’t. “It’s only for a few more days. What have you done so far?”

“Not a whole lot. Everyone keeps asking me a bunch of questions. Dale’s team threw him a baby shower,” she giggled.

“A baby shower?” Lindsay repeated.

“Yeah, I got to watch the DVD, it was so funny. They made him wear a bunch of pink and they got him presents to open. They were all for me, but it was funny to see his face. Especially when he kept opening tampons.”

Lindsay laughed hard at the thought of Dale opening tampons. “And this was caught on tape?”

“Yeah one of his friends taped it, its funny Mom. I’ll have to see if he’ll bring it to show you. Everyone here was making fun of him. I wondered where the mountains of pads and tampons in my room came from.”

“Oh Sweetie, that’s funny. I can’t wait to see the DVD. Maybe next time Dale comes here, I’ll ask for the play by play,” she wiped a stray tear from the corner of her eye.

“I wish I was home celebrating with you and Gramma,” Ashlyn sighed.

“I know baby and I wish you were here so we can celebrate Thanksgiving like we always do, but your father wants to spend time with you.” Lindsay reasoned.

“He’s not my father.” Ashlyn shot back.

“Ashlyn,” Lindsay rubbed her forehead. “He is to your father. And it’s my fault that you didn’t know that until recently. He’s always going to be in your life from now on. He missed out on a lot because I didn’t tell him about you. He’s trying to make up for lost time.”

“This is our holiday, Mom.” Ashlyn whined.

“Ash, every holiday is our holiday. I never had to share you before.”

“Am I going to have to spend Christmas here too?”

“I don’t know yet,” Lindsay sighed. “Your father and I haven’t talked about it yet.” They needed to talk about a lot of things concerning Ashlyn. “I know you want to come home, hon. But give him a chance. He’s not that bad of a guy.”

“I know, Mom.” Ashlyn gave a sigh and turned around in the chair facing the wall. “He’s really nice. But maybe it’s an act to get me to like him or something. Probably has a secret agenda.”

“The only agenda Dale has is to get to know his daughter and learn how to be a father.” Lindsay laughed. She wondered if that was how she sounded to her mother when she was talking about how Dale was going to take Ashlyn from her.

“His mom is really nice. We talked earlier.”

“Oh?”

“Mom?”

“Yes, baby?”

“Do I have to call Dale, Dad and Brenda, Grandma?” Ashlyn asked.

“What? No baby,” Lindsay shook her head. “Are they making you call them that?”

“No they aren’t.” Ashlyn sighed. “It’s just that they are my Dad and Grandma.”

“You don’t have to call them anything but Dale and Brenda, honey.” Lindsay told her. “They’ll understand.”

“How will I know when to call them that?”

“Oh baby you’ll know.”

“That’s what Brenda said,” Ashlyn sighed, hoping her mother could give her an answer.

“Baby I know you were looking for an answer, but we can’t give you one. Only you will know when you want to call Dale, dad,” Lindsay explained, missing the face that Alex made.

“I just don’t want to hurt his feelings.”

“You won’t hurt his feelings. He understands. Why don’t you talk to him about this?”

“I don’t know,” Ashlyn replied quietly. She didn’t know how to bring the subject up with Dale. She didn’t know him. How could she just say it?

“Honey, ask him.” Lindsay tried to reassure her. “Only you two can decide when you call him Dad. That’s between your father and you.”

“Thanks Momma.” Ashlyn knew she had to get off the phone. Someone was probably looking for her. Being new to the family it was hard to blend in, someone constantly wanted her. “I better get off and see if dinner is ready.”

“Alright honey,” Lindsay said as her mother took the turkey out of the oven. Their Thanksgiving dinner was almost done. “Listen; don’t be sneaking phone calls anymore. You want to talk to me, ask Dale. He won’t say no. And talk to Dale, baby.”

“I will Momma,” she sighed, hopefully she wouldn’t get in trouble for sneaking the phone call. “Tell Gramma I love her and I miss her. And make a good wish!”

“I will,” Lindsay chuckled. “I love you and miss you too. Happy Thanksgiving, Baby.”

“Happy Thanksgiving Momma,” Ashlyn told her mom before hitting the end button. Turning around in the chair her breath caught when she saw Dale standing in the doorway. She couldn’t tell if he was angry or not, but lowered her head, staring at her lap. 

“Ashlyn,” Dale started as he walked into the room, shutting the door behind him. Going to the desk, he sat on the corner looking at his daughter. He had watched her take the phone from the cradle and disappear down the hall. Allowing her a few minutes of privacy he followed and caught the end of her conversation with Lindsay. 

“I’m sorry; I should have asked to use your phone.” Ashlyn quietly spoke. 

“Ashlyn, look at me,” Dale waited, but Ashlyn never lifted her head. Reaching out he placed a finger on her chin, raising her head. “I’m not mad. I’m not going to yell at you.”

“You’re not?” She asked hopefully.

“No, you’re allowed to call you mom. I’m not going to keep her from you.” Dale sighed. “Ash, I know you miss your mom and you probably hate me right now for taking you from her.”

“I don’t hate you,” she whispered, diverting her eyes.

“Well you don’t like me.”

“I don’t know you.”

“Well let’s change that. I know it’s pretty crazy around here, but tomorrow everyone will be gone and we can spend the day together. We do whatever you want to do.”

“Go to the mall?” Ashlyn looked up sending a grin towards Dale.

Dale groaned and looked towards the ceiling before turning his attention back to his daughter. Seeing her smile, his heart twisted and he couldn’t say no. “We’ll go to the mall,” he relented and he didn’t think it was possible for Ashlyn’s smile to grow. 

“Dale Junior!” Brenda yelled from the hall.

“Uh-oh, I think you’re in trouble.” Ashlyn giggled before the door opened revealing Dale’s mom carrying a Rubbermaid container.

“Hi Mom,” Dale sent his mom a smile. 

“Don’t ‘hi Mom’ me,” Brenda scolded her son. “How many times do I have to tell you not to get into the food before it’s on the table?” She walked closer, showing both father and daughter the container of deviled eggs, with two empty slots. 

“It wasn’t me,” he insisted.

“Yeah right, you steal one every year and every year I yell at you.” Brenda shook her head, putting the lid back on the container. “I know your tricks.”

“Alright, alright,” he stood up going to his mom, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “I stole one. But don’t try to place the second one on me. I didn’t take it.” They both turned around to the giggle behind them seeing Ashlyn covering her mouth, trying to hide the smile. 

“I love deviled eggs.”


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter Thirty Nine

“Dale,” Ashlyn knocked softly on Dale’s bedroom door. She rubbed her arms through the long sleeve shirt at the early morning chill that ran through the house. She put an ear up to the door, but didn’t hear movement from beyond the door. “Dale,” she called, knocking again. She sighed heavily and reached for the doorknob, slowly twisting the handle, pushing the door open. 

She felt weird walking into the bedroom. She hoped that he didn’t sleep naked. Moving further into the bedroom, she stopped next to the king size bed and looked down at the lone figure burrowed underneath the covers. “Dale,” she whispered. When he made no movement, she gently shook his shoulder, hoping she wouldn’t startle him.

“Mmmm…” Dale groaned rolling over. His blinked his eyes opened and looked in confusion at the teenager staring down at him. Shaking the haze from his brain he spoke up, “Ashlyn, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Ashlyn said. “You said we’d go shopping today.”

Dale turned his head looking at the clock. The green digits seemingly laughed at him. “What store is open this early?”

“It’s the day after Thanksgiving,” Ashlyn rolled her eyes. “Everything opens early.”

Dale groaned and ran his hands over his face, wiping the sleep from his eyes. Did he really promise his daughter he’d take her shopping on Black Friday? “Ashlyn,” he started.

“You changed your mind,” Ashlyn’s shoulders slumped. “It’s alright…”

“No, no,” Dale sat up, grabbing her arm. “Sit down,” he told her. “I didn’t change my mind. I simply forgot that today was Black Friday. There are going to be a lot of people in the stores today and I can’t walk into them just like another customer,” he explained. “I can’t go out like a regular guy. People will gather around me, wanting autographs, pictures. They’ll push and shove. And now that everyone knows about you, they’ll be snapping your picture and won’t leave us alone.”

“Oh,” Ashlyn sighed. She never thought about her father being famous. She had just assumed that he would be able to do what he wanted. “I’m sorry, Dale. I should have thought about that. I’ll go back to bed. Sorry to wake you.”

Dale’s heart broke as he watched his daughter walk dejectedly from his room. He sighed heavily falling back down on the bed. He had to do something to make up for his stupidity. “Argh,” he groaned, pounding his fist on the bed. He knew there was no way he could take Ashlyn to the mall or any other store she wanted to go to. The minute they walked into a store, they’d get ambushed. He didn’t want to put Ashlyn through that and he couldn’t really say the fans would be welcoming to her.

Getting an idea, he reached for his cell phone that sat next to his clock. Dialing his sister he waited for her to answer. He breathed a sigh of relief when her voice came over the phone. “Kel I need your help.”

“I never knew you could be up this early,” Kelley said as she quietly walked through her house.

“I don’t know how you can sound chipper this early,” Dale grumbled. “I have a favor to ask.”

“This have anything to do with promising to take Ashlyn shopping today?”

“How’d you know?” 

“Ashlyn was talking about it yesterday; didn’t have the heart to tell her you probably couldn’t do it.”

“I wasn’t thinking,” Dale sighed. “Can you take her with you and Mom? You guys hit the sales every year…”

“We’d love to,” Kelley grinned. “Pass over your credit card.”

Dale groaned, “I knew there’d be a stipulation.”

“You got it, Lil Bro,” Kelley laughed. “Don’t be such a tightwad, hand it over.”

“Alright, alright,” Dale said, giving in. “Just try and go easy with it.”

“You’ll be fine,” Kelley said. “Is Ashlyn all ready? I’ll pick her up before going to get Mom.”

“Yeah, she’s awake. Thanks Kel,” Dale said before hanging up the phone. He pushed the covers back and climbed from his bed, giving a stretch before walking out of the room toward Ashlyn’s room. He knocked softly on the door, “Ashlyn, Honey?” When he heard her answer, he opened the door and walked into the room. He hoped the next time Ashlyn came to visit they’d be able to decorate her room the way she wanted. For now, she had to deal with it being an impersonal guest room. “You changed already?” He questioned seeing a pile of clothes on the floor.

“Yeah, didn’t want to sleep in jeans,” Ashlyn said sitting up when Dale sat on the bed.

“I really am sorry about not being able to take you shopping, Ash,” Dale apologized again. “I wasn’t thinking.”

“It’s okay,” Ashlyn said.

“It’s not, I shouldn’t have promised when I knew I couldn’t do it,” Dale sighed. “But hopefully I found a way to make it up to you.”

“What’s that,” Ashlyn asked hopefully.

“Momma and Kelly never miss a Black Friday out shopping,” Dale started. “Kelley said she has room for you if you want to go with them.”

“Really?” Ashlyn grinned excitedly.

“Really,” Dale laughed, matching his daughter’s enthusiasm. “She’s on her way over, so hurry and get dressed.”

“Awesome,” Ashlyn leaped from her sitting position, wrapping her arms around Dale in a hug. “Thank you!”

“Get dressed,” Dale said after hugging her to him. He kissed the top of her head before standing up. “I’ll meet you downstairs.”

Ashlyn threw her clothes back on and went into the bathroom to run a brush through her hair. She was unable to contain the smile on her face. She wished that Dale was able to take her, but she was excited nonetheless with Brenda and Kelley. Once she was done in the bathroom, she went downstairs and as she was putting on her shoes, Dale walked into the room.

“Kelley just pulled in,” Dale said. He could see the excitement surrounding his daughter and felt his heart swell. “Do you like to shop?”

“I do, me and Momma are the queens of the clearance racks,” Ashlyn as she tied her shoe. She looked up at Dale. “And I got all those gift cards from the baby shower to the mall here, so it’s a perfect time to use them.”

“Ah,” Dale nodding having forgot about the gift cards the guys at the shop got her from the baby shower. “Well don’t go too crazy.”

“I won’t,” Ashlyn grinned when Kelley opened the front door.

“You ready to go, Ash?” Kelley smiled at the teenager.

“I’m ready,” she told her aunt. “Thank you for taking me with you.”

“No problem, Kid. We’re gonna go pick up Mom and then head down to Charlotte. You do realize we’re gonna be gone most of the day right?”

Ashlyn nodded before turning to look at Dale, “You didn’t have anything planned did you?”

Dale shook his head, “No, go have fun. We can do something tomorrow.”

“Thanks,” she grabbed her coat and slipped it on. “Bye Dale,” she said before walking out the door.

“She’s certainly happy,” Kelley observed after Ashlyn left. 

“Yeah, she’s excited to go shopping,” Dale said.

“My kind of girl,” Kelley grinned and held out her hand.

Dale sighed and handed off his credit card, placing it in Kelley’s outstretched hand. “Make sure she doesn’t get ambushed if she gets recognized. They’ll put it together and figure out who she is.”

“Don’t worry, Dale. We’ll take care of her,” Kelley said. “Go back to sleep. Don’t want your schedule messed up.”

“Heh, I’m awake now.”

Kelley chuckled before walking toward the door. “Yeah right go back to sleep. I’ll call you later. Don’t expect us back for supper.”

**

“Holy cow…” Dale gaped as he held open his front door allowing Ashlyn to enter. “Did you leave anything at the store!”

“I didn’t want to buy all of this,” Ashlyn said softly. “I browsed the clearance racks but Kelley and Brenda said to get what I wanted. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay,” Dale chuckled and watched as Kelley walked up the porch steps carrying bags. “Are those hers too?”

“They are,” Kelley grinned handing them off to Dale. “And don’t jump on her. Me and Mom pushed her to buy what she wanted. We had to pull her away from the clearance stuff. But she has a good shopping sense. Just uh,” she reached into her pocket, producing her brother’s credit card. “Make sure you’re sitting down when you open this bill.”

“Fuck Kel,” Dale took his card.

“It’s not as bad as you think it is,” she winked at him. “I told you, she’s a good shopper. I’d better get home; Jimmy is probably going nuts with the kids.”

Dale picked up the shopping bags and made his way up the stairs to Ashlyn’s room. Seeing the door open, he walked it sitting the bags on the bed. “Did you have a good time?”

“I did,” Ashlyn grinned. “People were crazy! We saw one woman get pushed to the ground over a DVD player!”

“No kidding?” Dale shook his head. “Fighting over a DVD player that probably wasn’t even that good of a deal anyway.”

“We had to go in that store anyway, Kelley was getting your Christmas present,” Ashlyn grinned as she unpacked her new clothes from the bags, taking the price tags off. 

“Really?” Dale smirked. “You’re gonna tell me right?”

“I’ve been sworn to secrecy,” Ashlyn giggled. “You won’t get it from me.”

“I have my ways,” he watched her gather up all the clothes, tossing them into a basket. “You want to wash them?”

“I always wash new clothes,” Ashlyn said as she lifted the basket. “Ever since that one episode of ‘House’ where two guys were poisoned from not washing their clothes. Granted they bought them on the black market, but still…”

“Alright, I will now wash my new clothes from now on,” Dale said as he followed Ashlyn from the room. He didn’t like the idea of being poisoned just by pulling on a pair of jeans. “Did you have supper?”

“Yeah, we finished off the day at Applebee’s,” Ashlyn called as she started the load of laundry. She came from the washroom and went into the kitchen grabbing a Pepsi. 

“How about a movie?” Dale offered. “You pick the movie and I’ll get the popcorn.”

“Sounds good,” Ashlyn agreed before heading into the living room. She didn’t figure this day could get any better.


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter Forty

“I will Momma,” Ashlyn said into the phone. “I love you too.” She ended the call, sitting the phone down on the kitchen table.

“Did you tell her you were still alive?” Dale chuckled as he sat the plate of eggs and bacon in front of her.

“Yeah,” Ashlyn giggled as she stood up. She walked to the counter where she put bread in the toaster. “She always worries.”

“Mothers are like that,” Dale said as he continued making his plate. “I’m thirty four and my Mom still worries.”

“I hope Mom won’t be that bad,” Ashlyn groaned, buttering her toast when it popped up. She slid another two pieces into the toaster for Dale. 

“She only does it because she loves you,” Dale said.

“I know,” Ashlyn smiled. “Which is probably why I didn’t tell her what we were going to do today,” she grinned.

“Heh, probably not a good idea,” Dale agreed as he served up his plate before turning the stove off. “She would definitely be worried.”

“You can tell her when she calls back tonight,” she giggled as she put the second set of toast on Dale’s plate. “That way she can yell at you for allowing me to ‘dangerous things’,” she changed her voice to mimic Lindsay.

“I can handle your mother don’t worry,” he assured his daughter as they both sat down at the table to eat their breakfast.

**

“I get to drive right?” Ashlyn said as she followed Dale into the garage where his toys were housed.

“You got a license?” Dale asked as he fetched two helmets from the shelf. He handed one off to his daughter before going back to the ATV checking to make sure the gas tank was full.

“Oh, come on,” Ashlyn pleaded. “Please!” She slid the helmet over her head. 

“Sorry,” Dale shook his head. “Have you driven one of these before?”

“No,” Ashlyn sighed and watched as Dale climbed on. He started the four-wheeler and backed it from the garage. She walked slowly toward him when he stopped and climbed on.

“You can either, lean back and hold on to the rack or you can wrap your arms around me,” Dale called over the noise of the engine. “If you need to get my attention, tap on my shoulder or leg okay?”

Ashlyn nodded and leaned back grabbing hold of the metal bars behind her. She shrieked with excitement when Dale thumbed the gas making the four-wheeler shoot forward. She laughed at the rush she felt as Dale flew down the drive ducking off into the woods on one of the paths. She was sure he’d take it easy, but since she was being bounced around knew he was going all out.

She was a little afraid that she’d fall off the back with the way she was leaning and removed one hand from the rack, grabbing Dale’s sweatshirt. Holding tightly, she pulled herself up, wrapping her arms around Dale, hugging him tightly as he zigzagged on the path.

Dale grinned as he heard Ashlyn’s laughter. He was glad she was enjoying herself; happy that she liked being outdoors. He didn’t know what he’d do if she was a girly type who didn’t want to get dirty. He should have known better since half his genes were flowing through her. Coming up on Whiskey River, he slowed the four-wheeler down before coming to a stop.

“Is this Whiskey River,” Ashlyn asked as she took off her helmet, smoothing her hair back from her face. She looked around at the western town. “This is so cool,” she slid off the four-wheeler and walked down the dirt road. “I bet you have awesome parties here.” She walked into the jail and gasped seeing the real jail cells. “You ever locked anyone in here?” She asked sliding open the cell and walking in.

“Heh,” Dale chuckled. “Every time we have a party,” he told her. “Usually I’ll toss someone in there so they don’t drink and drive.”

“Ever do it just for fun?”

“Maybe a couple times,” he walked with her as she went into the saloon. “Thirsty?” 

“Yeah,” she climbed up on the bar stool and watched as Dale reached into the cooler, grabbing a Pepsi and sliding it to her.

Dale watched as she took a drink and then stared down at the counter. He waited for her to speak, but she never did. He could tell something was on her mind. Moving from behind the bar, he took a seat at the bar stool next to her. “What are you thinking about?”

Ashlyn shrugged and played with her soda can. She didn’t know if she could bring up the subject or the questions on her mind. She didn’t want to make Dale mad.

“Hey,” Dale said softly, reaching out he placed a finger underneath her chin, lifting her head to meet his gaze. “Ashlyn, you don’t have to be afraid to talk to me. Okay? You can talk to me about anything…”

“I just…” Ashlyn trailed off trying to think of the right words. “It’s just a couple months ago, I didn’t have a dad. It was me, Momma and Gramma. And now…I don’t know…it’s weird. Everyone at school thinks it’s so cool that you’re my Dad. They don’t understand why I’m not excited about it.”

“If they were in your position, they’d be just like you are right now,” Dale sympathized with Ashlyn, knowing she had to be going through a lot. “It’s alright to have questions and be unsure. You can even be mad and upset if you wanted.”

“Are you mad?” Ashlyn asked softly. “That Momma didn’t tell you?”

Dale sighed and carefully thought before speaking, “I ain’t gonna lie Ashlyn, I was pretty ticked off when I first found out. I was mad that she didn’t tell me, that I missed so much in your life that I’ll never be able to get back.”

“Did you forgive her?”

“Yes,” Dale nodded. After saying the word, he realized it was the truth. He did forgive Lindsay for not telling him about his daughter. “I understood the reasoning behind it, it hurts and I wish it could have been different, but there is nothing I can do to change it. All I can do now is, get to know you and spend as much time as I can with you.”

Ashlyn mulled over the next question on her mind, then looked up at Dale. She felt a rush of love wrap around her when she saw the emotions in his gaze. She felt a lump rise in her throat and clenched her eyes shut, willing herself not to cry. She hated her emotions sometimes. She could cry at the drop of a hat, which her mother said was a trait from her. “Sorry,” she managed, wiping a stray tear that had escaped. “Momma says I received that from her. She cries over commercials sometimes,” she laughed lightly.

“I remember that very well,” Dale nodded, remembering when Lindsay burst into tears for no reason during a sitcom in Telluride. He had been caught by surprise and didn’t know how to handle to sudden onset of tears.

“Are you mad that I don’t call you Daddy?” Ashlyn asked quietly.

“I’m not mad, Sweetie. I would love for you to call me Dad but I also know that you don’t have everything sorted out in your head yet. Once that happens, you’ll start calling me Dad,” he explained. He couldn’t wait for that day to come, when he’d walked up to Ashlyn and she’d call him Daddy and give him a hug. He would probably become a blubbering idiot. 

Ashlyn sighed, “I hate grown ups.”

“Why is that?”

“Because I asked you, Mom and Brenda and so far, I haven’t gotten an answer.”

Dale laughed and squeezed his daughter’s knee, “That’s because only you know the answer. We’re not gonna make you do something one way or the other. It’s up to you what you want to call me. And until you decide which way, I’m happy being called Dale, okay?” At Ashlyn’s nod, he stood up. “How about we finish that ride?”

Ashlyn grinned and jumped up, “Yes!” And walked with him out of the saloon back to where the four-wheeler was parked. Once she had her helmet on, she climbed on the ATV and waited for Dale.

“You know what,” Dale said grinning. “How about you drive?”

“Really!” Ashlyn gasped her eyes wide. “You serious!”

“Serious,” Dale nodded. “But you aren’t going to go fast alright? I don’t need to be explaining to Lindsay how you broke a leg. She’ll never let you come back.”

“Oh thank you!” Ashlyn scurried off the four-wheeler, launching herself at Dale. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Dale laughed and hugged her tightly, thankful for the few times, she’s allowed him to do so. He hoped that soon, he would be able to more often. He watched as she climbed back on, this time sitting in the front. He smiled and shook his head, wondering if this was wise, but he never wanted to see that smile wiped from his daughter’s face. Going to the ATV, he got down to business showing her how to start it, where the break was and the throttle.

“Now,” he said as he climbed on behind her. He sat close to her, so he would be able to reach the handle bars just in case he needed to take over the steering in a hurry. “Go slow and follow my directions okay?”

“Okay,” Ashlyn nodded and pushed the throttle in, causing the four-wheeler to shoot forward in a burst of speed. “Sorry,” she giggled slowing it down. 

“Just keep ‘er easy,” Dale said, willing his heart beat to go back to normal. ‘Yes,’ he thought. ‘Lindsay is going to kill me.’

**

“What are you doing in New York,” Ashlyn asked as the plane flew closer to landing at the airstrip close to her house.

“A bunch of interviews and photographs, accepting a few awards,” Dale explained. He was taking Ashlyn back home to Kentucky and then flying to New York for Champions Week. The whole week was booked with interviews and appearances. He was disgusted with his twelfth place finish in the chase. After the great start to the season and being as high as third in the points, they progressively fell through the remaining twelve races to last. He didn’t even get a spot at the award banquet. Which was okay, he never liked giving speeches, but his team deserved some recognition. And it did mean he was able to leave New York early. Knowing that he couldn’t bring Ashlyn with him and she had school, he kept the hunting trip he had planned with Kerry, Tony Jr., and a few others. 

“That’s cool,” Ashlyn said. “I’ve never been to New York.”

Dale smiled, “Maybe I can talk your Mom into a trip up there.”

“Good luck with that,” Ashlyn grumbled. “I can’t even talk her into a trip to Florida.”

“Well,” Dale said as a plan formed in his head. “I’ll see what I can do with the Florida trip. I’ll be there in February for a couple weeks. Maybe you can come with me,” he held up his hand. “Don’t get your hopes up,” he told her seeing her expression. “I have to talk with your mother about it. I don’t know if she’d like for you to miss that much school.”

“Oh, please,” Ashlyn begged. “Can you talk to her?”

“I’ll talk to her, see if we can work it out,” Dale agreed, wondering if he’d be able to talk Lindsay into coming along as well. It would be a new year and she was bound to have vacation time along with it. Maybe he’d be able to get her to use the vacation and spend it with him at Daytona. He liked the idea of having both Ashlyn and Lindsay at his side to start off the new season.

When the plane landed, Dale helped grab Ashlyn’s bags and followed her off the plane where he watched her run to Lindsay and give her a hug. He loaded her bags into the car and turned around listening as Ashlyn’s rambled about her trip. His heart fluttered when Lindsay glanced up at him, giving him a smile. 

“Four-wheeler, huh?” Lindsay repeated glancing at Dale, who shrugged, grinning sheepishly.

“Yeah,” Ashlyn nodded, excitedly. “He rode with me the entire time and we didn’t go that fast. It was so much fun! Then we rode in the go-karts and guess what Mom?”

“What’s that?” Lindsay asked, turning her attention back to her daughter.

“I won!” Ashlyn grinned. “I kicked his butt. Just wait until I tell Anna.”

“That’s great, Honey,” Lindsay laughed, glad that her daughter had a great time. “You might not want to announce that to everyone. Don’t want to embarrass your father.”

“Heh,” Dale shook his head. “We have a rematch scheduled for next time she comes out. I know her tricks now.” He knew he had better let them go, so they could get home and get ready for the new work and school week. He had to get a move on as well and get to New York. “I need to get going.”

“Okay,” Ashlyn said moving forward. She felt a wave of sadness wash over her thinking about what Dale had told her on the plane ride over. She wasn’t going to get to see him for the next two weeks. She felt tears well up in her eyes.

“I’ll see you in a couple weeks okay?” Dale said, feeling a knot in his stomach. It was funny how he went thirteen years without having her in his life and now he was dreading the two weeks he was going to spend apart from her. “I’ll be busy this week, but I’ll try to call, okay? You can call anytime. I always have my phone with me. I may not be able to answer, but I’ll call you back.”

“Okay,” Ashlyn nodded and wrapped her arms around Dale, hugging him tightly. “I’ll miss you,” she whispered, feeling a couple tears slip down her cheeks.

“I’ll miss you too,” Dale whispered kissing the top of her head. “I’ll call you tomorrow,” he promised. “I love you.”

Ashlyn nodded and pulled back, ending the hug and climbed into the passenger seat, letting the tears fall. She didn’t know it would be this hard to say good bye.


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter Forty One

Lindsay pulled into the driveway after worked and walked down to the mailbox, pulling out the few envelopes. Shuffling through them, she still didn’t see the one she was waiting on. She climbed up on the porch, kicking off the snow before going into the house.

“Momma?”

Lindsay looked up seeing Ashlyn walk down the stairs as she was taking her coat off. “Hey, Sweetie,” she said, giving her daughter and hug and kiss. “How was school?”

“It was okay,” Ashlyn said as she followed Lindsay into the kitchen. “Who are you calling?” She asked, seeing her mother grab the phone.

“The hospital,” Lindsay said as she searched for the number.

“Why?” Ashlyn asked confused. “It’s Gramma okay?”

“Oh yeah, Baby,” Lindsay told her daughter. “Everyone is fine. I just want to know when they are going to send the bill from your accident. I haven’t got it yet…”

“Ohh…” Ashlyn nodded. She pursed her lips, wondering if she should tell her mother about why she hadn’t got it yet. She figured it would be better for her to hear it from the hospital. She wouldn’t be in the warpath. “Well, uhm, I was wondering…”

“You were wondering what?” Lindsay asked.

“Well, there is a Christmas dance next Saturday,” Ashlyn started slowly. “I was wondering if I can go.”

Lindsay smiled, “Is Anna going?”

“Yeah, she was asked by Kevin,” Ashlyn nodded. “Can I go?”

“Let me talk with Christy, and work out the details. She can take you guys and I’ll pick you up,” Lindsay said. “Are you going with anyone?” She grinned when Ashlyn blushed. “Spill Ash…”

“Well, he hasn’t asked me yet,” Ashlyn said, looking at the floor. “But I think he will….”

“Bryce?” Lindsay smiled, knowingly. “Why don’t you ask him?”

“Momma, the guy is always supposed to ask the girl,” Ashlyn groaned. “Besides we have a dance where its girls ask guys. That’s not until March or something like that.”

“My bad,” Lindsay laughed. “Do you have a dress?”

“Well,” Ashlyn said slowly. “That was my next question. Can we go to the mall?”

“Of course,” Lindsay nodded. “Can’t be without a dress for the dance. Just let me call the hospital real quick and we’ll go okay?”

“Okay,” Ashlyn grinned and left the room. She didn’t want to be around when her mother found out that Dale paid the bill already.

Lindsay dialed the hospital’s number and waited while she was transferred to billing. Drumming her fingers against the table she sighed as she was put on hold and listened to the music on the other end. She was relieved when it wasn’t long before a woman’s voice came over the receiver.

“Yes this is Lindsay Pierce. My daughter Ashlyn was a patient in October,” Lindsay explained. “I was calling because I haven’t received a bill from the hospital. With Christmas coming up, I don’t want to be surprised.”

“I understand, no problem,” the lady said. “Can I have your daughter’s social security number?” 

Lindsay rattled off the number and waited for the woman to pull up the information.

“There must be some mistake,” the lady said as she looked at the file in front of her. “The bill has already been taken care of.”

“What do you mean?” Lindsay repeated, sitting up straight. “I never received a bill. It can’t be paid for already.”

“Ma’am, I’m looking at your daughter’s bill right now and it says it has been paid for in full.

“By…by who?” Lindsay whispered. Who would have paid Ashlyn’s hospital bill? The minute she said the question in her mind, she knew.

“The statement was sent to Dale Earnhardt Jr. It was paid for on November fourteenth.”

“Thank you for your help, Ma’am,” Lindsay sighed. She ended the phone call and stared across the kitchen. Dale paid Ashlyn’s hospital bill. She didn’t have to pay it. He paid the bill. She worked all those hours for nothing. He didn’t tell her or talk it over with her. The more she thought about it, the more her anger grew. How dare he just pay the bill! 

Snatching the phone she dialed his number, the anger coursing through her body. With each passing ring, the anger grew. By the time his voicemail kicked on, she couldn’t even form any words and she ended the call not bothering to leave a message.

“Momma?” Ashlyn asked walking into the kitchen. “Are you okay?”

Lindsay rubbed her face and took a deep breath before putting a smile on her face. “Yeah, I’m okay.” She pushed back from the table and stood up. “How about we go get the dress now?”

**

Ashlyn and Lindsay walked into JCPenny’s and headed toward the junior section. They both walked to separate racks and started browsing. She found a couple of dresses she liked, but when she saw the price tags she put them back.

“Don’t worry about the prices, Honey,” Lindsay came up to her. “Find the dress you want, okay?”

“Are you sure Momma?” Ashlyn asked. She had never known her mother to overlook the price on anything.

“Yes, Baby,” Lindsay gave her daughter a quick hug. “Find the dress that you like no matter what the price is.”

“Thanks Momma,” Ashlyn grinned and pulled one of the dresses she had before off the rack.

Lindsay smiled and moved to look through another rack. She heard her phone start going off and she dug it out of her purse. Seeing Dale’s name, she hit ignore and dropped it back in the bag. She did not want to talk to him right now.

“I told him to tell you,” Ashlyn said from behind her mother. She had an arm full of dresses she wanted to try on.

“Tell me what?” Lindsay asked picking a couple dresses from the rack.

“About the hospital bill,” Ashlyn said as they made their way to the dressing rooms. “Dale told me he paid it.”

“When?” Lindsay asked, not believing that he would tell Ashlyn about it, but not her.

“Uhm, before Thanksgiving. When he showed up while you were at work… we kind of got to talking… I’m sorry, Momma. I told him to tell you. I knew you’d be mad. Are you mad?” she asked cautiously. “You are mad,” she determined seeing the look on her mother’s face.

“Not at you baby,” Lindsay said. “I’ll talk to him when we get home,” she heard the phone ringing again and ignored it. “Let’s try on those dresses.”

**

Lindsay sat down on the couch, curling her legs beneath her, sipping on a cup of hot tea. She grabbed the remote and started flipping through the channels on the television. Judging by the grin on her daughter’s face when they walked through the door earlier in the evening, they had found the perfect dress. Ashlyn was so excited that she grabbed the phone and rushed up the stairs to call Anna.

Feeling tired, she decided to go to bed and try to get a good nights sleep. She didn’t have to work tomorrow. Aside from making sure Ashlyn was off to school, she was going to catch up on some sleep that she’s missed. She locked up the downstairs and deposited her cup into the sink before making her way up the stairs and into her bedroom.

After going through her nightly ritual of brushing her teeth and hair and washing her face, she changed into her pajamas. Turning the covers back on her bed she crawled underneath, snuggling down. She laid down trying to clear her mind so she could sleep, but the hospital bill still ran through her mind. She’d admit it was a relief not having to worry about it, but she was still mad about Dale going behind her back to pay for it. She rolled over at the soft knock and saw Ashlyn walk into her room.

“I thought you were already sleeping, Baby?” Lindsay said, sitting up on her elbow.

“I’m going to bed now,” Ashlyn said. “Dale’s on the phone. He beeped in while I was talking to Anna. He wants to talk to you.”

“Alright,” Lindsay reached for the phone. “Good night, Sweetie,” she kissed her daughter’s cheek and watched her walk from the room, shutting the door softly. She sighed and brought the phone to her ear. “Hello Dale.”

“I’ve been trying to call you all day,” Dale said as he paced back and forth on the deck of the cabin where he was staying during his hunting trip. “I saw you called and tried to call you back. Did you need something?”

Lindsay mulled over the question. What she needed was him right in front of her so she’d be able to hit him for paying the bill. Then she wanted to hug him. “You paid Ashlyn’s hospital bill.”

Hearing the statement, Dale cringed. He knew it was only a matter of time before Lindsay found out. He just wished that he would have been able to tell her first. He understood why he hadn’t been able to catch her – she was ignoring him. If he hadn’t of gotten Ashlyn on the phone earlier, he knew this phone call would have gone unanswered as well. “Lindsay…”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Lindsay snapped. “Damnit Dale…”

“I’m sorry, Linds. I wanted to…I just…”

“Just what? Slipped your mind that you forked out thousands of dollars?”

“I knew you’d be mad—”

“And that didn’t stop you and make you think that ‘hmm, I should really talk this over with Lindsay before I do this?’”

“Actually? No,” Dale sighed. He rubbed a hand over his face as he leaned against the rail on the deck overlooking the vast open land. “I just wanted to help and at the time, that was the only thing I could think of to do. I knew the bill was gonna be high and I didn’t want you worrying about it and to just concentrate on Ashlyn.”

Lindsay couldn’t think of a reply to his statement. How could she be mad at him for helping? It was a load off her shoulders, knowing the bill was paid for and never coming. She didn’t have to worry about coming up with the money. “You could have told me when you did it. I’ve been waiting for it… I’ve been working so many extra hours… picking up shifts…”

“I’m sorry Linds. I should have told you then you wouldn’t have had to worry.”

“Thank you, Dale,” Lindsay said softly. “You don’t know how relieved I feel. Just don’t do it again…”

Dale’s smile grew slow on his lips, “Well…,” he drawled. “I may or may not have grabbed your mortgage bill…”

“Dale Junior!”


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter Forty Two

Lindsay jumped, startled when the front door slammed shut. She saw a blur of blue run past the doorway and thudded up the steps followed by the sound of a bedroom door shutting. She placed her bookmark in her book and tossed the afghan blanket aside and pushed herself off the couch to go investigate.

“Ashlyn,” she knocked on her daughter’s door.

“Go away,” Ashlyn yelled burying her head deeper into the pillow. Her body was shaking with sobs.

“Sweetie, let me in,” Lindsay called worried about what had upset her daughter. She heard the click of the lock turning and waited for Ashlyn to open the door. When it never came, she turned the knob and slowly pushed the door open. “Ashlyn, Honey?” She walked into the room, seeing her daughter face down on her bed, crying. “Oh Sweetie, what’s wrong?” She sat down on the bed next to Ashlyn, rubbing a comforting hand on her back.

“My life is over Momma,” Ashlyn cried rolling over. She sat up, hugging her mother. “I’m never going back to that school again.”

“Sweetie, what happened?” Lindsay asked trying to think what could have happened at school to warrant such a statement. In her mind she was already calling the school and giving them a piece of her mind if what her daughter said had anything to do with Dale.

“I wanted Bryce to ask me to the dance,” Ashlyn said sniffling. “But I found out today that Brittany already asked him and he said yes. It’s not fair Momma. They broke up while I was in the hospital. She knew I wanted to go to the dance with him.”

“Oh Honey,” Lindsay frowned and pulled Ashlyn into a hug, sympathizing with her. Someone couldn’t pay her enough to go back to high school. “I’m sorry.”

“She had to rub it in my face that she was going with him too,” Ashlyn cried. “I thought she was my friend. I don’t want to go to that stupid dance now. I’ll be on the reject wall with all the other dateless losers…” she flopped herself back down on the bed, hugging her pillow to herself as she sobbed.

Lindsay rubbed Ashlyn’s back before getting up off the bed and leaving her daughter alone. She shut the door making her way down the stairs. She worried about Ashlyn’s newfound friendship with Brittany. Knowing the two weren’t friends throughout their school years to suddenly becoming friends within the past month, raised a red flag. She had a feeling it had to do with the news about Dale being Ashlyn’s father.

Sitting back on the couch, she covered herself up with the blanket, staring at the blank television screen. She wondered how she was going to handle the phony friends that would use her daughter to get closer to Dale and the perks it might bring.

“Knock, knock,” Dale knocked on the door as he opened it. He saw Lindsay looking back at him from her spot on the couch. He kicked his shoes off and hung his coat on the rack before he made his way into the living room.

“Damn,” Lindsay asked as she stared at the beard on Dale’s face. “Did your razor break?”

“Heh,” Dale rubbed his beard as he sat down in the recliner. “Kept me warm in the woods.”

“You just didn’t feel like shaving.”

“That too,” Dale grinned.

“I didn’t think you’d be here until next week? Thought your hunting trip was all week?”

“We ended it a couple days early; we didn’t hardly spot anything.” He told her and listened to the silent house. “Ashlyn here?”

“Yeah, she’s uh, in her room,” Lindsay said slowly, chewing on her lip.

“What’s wrong?” Dale asked, immediately picking up something was amiss.

“I think you need to go talk to her,” Lindsay said. “She had a bad day at school and I think you’ll be able to handle it better than me.”

“Me?” Dale asked warily. “What happened?”

Lindsay shook her head, “She’ll tell you.”

“Alright,” Dale made his way from the room and slowly walked up the stairs, wondering what happened at school that he would be better to settle than Lindsay. “Ashlyn?” He knocked on her door and pushed it open when he heard a muffle reply. He walked into the room seeing Ashlyn hastily wiping her cheeks. “What’s wrong?” He asked, his heart breaking at the sight of his daughter’s tears. He wanted to pull her into his arms and wipe her tears away. When she was good, he wanted to go find the reason for her tears and make sure it never happened again.

“Momma sent you up here didn’t she?” Ashlyn asked. She thought she heard his voice from downstairs but wasn’t sure. He was supposed to be hunting still. Brushing it off that her mind was playing tricks on her because she wanted him to be there, to take care of the problem and make it better like Daddies were supposed to.

Dale nodded and sat down on the edge of her bed. “Only because I asked where you were. What happened at school, Honey?”

Ashlyn sat up, crossing her legs in front of her, hugging her pillow. “There is a Christmas dance Saturday and I really wanted to go with Bryce. But I didn’t ask him because I wanted him to ask me. I really really like him. I found out today that Brittany asked him and he said yes,” she started tearing up again. “She knew I wanted to go with him. I thought she was my friend. Now I don’t have a date… every time I saw her today, she flaunted it in my face that he was going with her and not me.”

Dale gritted his jaw as Ashlyn told her story. He had an instant dislike for the Bryce character and especially Brittany. He didn’t figure he’d have to deal with boys and broken hearts so soon. It was on the tip of his tongue to tell his daughter to go back to school tomorrow and kick the girl’s ass. He doubted Lindsay would like that too much. “I’m sorry, Honey,” he rested a hand on her ankle. He wished he could solve the problem. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but that’s how high school works. And if Brittany did this, she wasn’t your friend anyway. Because no friend would do that.”

“I didn’t think she was anyway,” Ashlyn sighed. “She never talked to me, and then when I went back to school, she started being friendly with me and stuff. I thought it was cool that the most popular girl was talking to me.”

“Sweetie,” Dale moved closer to his daughter, seeing where this was going. “Honey, I’m sorry. I should have talked to you more about this. Now that it’s out that you’re my daughter, people are going to start befriending you in hopes to either meet me or take advantage of you.”

“So she was never really my friend?” Ashlyn questioned, trying to follow Dale.

Dale shook his head, “I’m afraid not, Ash. She was probably using you.”

“Then how will I know if someone wants to be my ‘real’ friend; for me and not because you’re my dad?”

“I wish I could be able to give you a real answer,” Dale started. “I have the same problem when it comes to people. Most of the friends I have are ones that I’ve had before I became famous. Some are drivers themselves and know what its like. It’s hard and I still make mistakes sometimes.”

“This sucks,” Ashlyn sighed. “I really want to go to the dance. But I don’t want to go by myself. And Anna has a date so she’ll be with him all night. I even got this really cute dress and now I won’t be able to wear it. And it was really expensive so we’ll probably return it…”

“Whoa, slow down,” Dale chuckled, stopping his daughter’s rant. “When is the dance?”

“Saturday,” Ashlyn pushed up from the bed, walking to her closet where she pulled the dress bag out. Unzipping it she pulled it from the bag, holding it up for Dale to see. “You like it?” She asked.

Dale stared at the red dress with a green under layer. He had to admit it was beautiful and he knew she would look gorgeous in it. But he gritted his teeth at the length – it was a little too short for his liking. ‘Why couldn’t she have bought a floor length dress?’ He thought. ‘And something long sleeve and didn’t show…’ he swallowed. ‘Cleavage.’

“Dale?” Ashlyn asked when he didn’t answer. “Do you like it?”

“It’s beautiful,” he told her. “Does it meet school policy though?”

Ashlyn giggled hanging the dress up. “Yes is meets the policy. There will be less clad girls there than this.” She frowned as she looked at the dress, remembering what it felt like to wear it, how it tickled her knees when she twirled around. How she looked with the cute silver sandals. She gave a longing sigh.

Dale watched his daughter looking at the dress and mentally went over his schedule. “Ashlyn,” he said standing up. “I have an idea. How about I go to the dance as your date?”

“What?” Ashlyn turned around, staring wide-eyed at Dale.

“Sure, I don’t have anything going on. You want to go to the dance. I’ll be your date and you can, uh, show them not to mess with you.”

“Really!” Ashlyn asked excitedly. “You really wanna go with me?”

“Yeah,” Dale grinned, seeing Ashlyn’s smile. “I’d be honored to take you to the dance.”

“Oh thank you,” Ashlyn grinned and went to hug Dale, but stopped.

“What is it?” Dale questioned.

“You think you’re gonna get me to agree to go with you when you ask me like that?” Ashlyn scoffed, crossing her arms. She shook her head. “I don’t think so. Ask me like you want to take me.”

Dale laughed, “Ashlyn, would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the Christmas dance this Saturday?”

“I would love too,” Ashlyn grinned before hugging him. “I can’t wait to tell Momma!” She ran from the room leaving Dale to follow, scratching his chin.

He needed to shave.


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter Forty Three

Ashlyn smiled to herself as she carefully pulled her dress down over her head. She didn’t want to mess up the hair style that her mother had done earlier. She wore her long blonde hair down. Her mother had spent hours curling the long tresses. Once she was done, Lindsay had clipped the sides back with bobby pins, leaving two long curls on either side of her face hanging down.

Staring at her reflection in the mirror she did a circle. She couldn’t wait to walk into the gymnasium with Dale on her arm. She imagined how everyone would stop and stare. How they’d be jealous of her. Bryce would regret not asking her to the dance. Hearing a knock at her door, she looked up seeing her mother walk in.

“You look beautiful,” Lindsay gushed, as she ran a hand on her daughter’s hair. “You’re gonna be the most beautiful girl there.”

Ashlyn blushed and took in her reflection again. “Thanks Momma,” she grabbed her silver sandals and slid them onto her feet, buckling the strap around her ankle. Taking another look in the mirror she took a deep breath. She was ready. “Is Dale ready?”

Lindsay nodded. “He’s waiting downstairs.”

“Is he dressed up?” Ashlyn questioned. She knew he had shaved off his beard the other day. But she didn’t know if he had any clothes in his bag. She didn’t figure since he had come straight to their house from hunting.

“He is,” Lindsay smiled thinking how good Dale looked in his black dress pants, a crisp white button down shirt and a black suit jacket. “You ready?”

“Yeah,” Ashlyn said as she walked out of her room and down the stairs to the living room. She saw Dale standing in the middle of the room, his back to her, watching a movie that was playing.

Dale turned hearing the soft footfalls seeing Ashlyn and Lindsay walk into the room. He had been right; she was beautiful in the dress. Seeing it on her, doubts rose that it met school policy. He wondered if she’d be upset if he suggested putting a sweater on. He figured she wouldn’t like that.

He watched her walk into the room and he shook his head unbelieving. ‘Is that really my daughter?’ He thought. ‘How can she be so damned gorgeous and be from me?’ His gaze flickered to Lindsay, who was toying with Ashlyn’s hair. ‘That would be the reason…’ “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Ashlyn blushed, averting her gaze.

“I got you this,” Dale reached behind him on the table, picking up the square box. He opened it carefully, producing a corsage with white flowers that had red tips. It matched her dress perfectly.

“Oh,” Ashlyn stared at the flower and held her shaking hand out for Dale to slide the corsage on. She stared down at it. “No one has ever given me a corsage before.”

“Dad’s got all the bases covered,” he winked as he put the corsage on her wrist.

Lindsay coughed, covering her mouth, “All but one base.”

“What?” Ashlyn asked puzzled.

Dale’s gaze shot to Lindsay’s, confusion written plainly across his features. His brain sought to think of what Lindsay had been talking about – what base he didn’t cover. Before he was able to question her about her, she had changed the subject.

“Alright, pictures!” Lindsay grinned, holding up her digital camera.

“Momma,” Ashlyn groaned.

“I’ll be sure to e-mail these to Brenda,” Lindsay told Dale as she positioned them in the living room. She couldn’t contain the smile on her face. Her heart grew that Dale was doing this for their daughter. That he would actually take the time out of his schedule to attend a high school dance. She was even more impressed that Ashlyn wasn’t embarrassed by the fact that she was going with her father. She couldn’t wait for the next father-daughter dance to come up.

“You’re too kind,” Dale told her as Lindsay continued snapping the pictures. “Do you have enough?”

“Momma always takes a million pictures,” Ashlyn informed him. “Just in case…”

“In case what?” Dale asked. “It’s a digital camera… you know if they don’t turn out. You need one and then just make a bunch of copies…”

“Shut up Dale,” Lindsay told him, snapping another one.

“Its better not to argue,” Ashlyn whispered. “She takes longer if you do.”

“Moms…” Dale shook his head.

“I know!”

Dale chuckled and took his daughter’s advice and smiled patiently waiting for the pictures to be over with. Once they were he looked at his watch, seeing they needed to go if they were going to make it when the dance started. “You ready?”

Ashlyn nodded and grabbed her winter coat from the coat rack, wishing she had a dress coat. Realizing that she couldn’t wear it and her corsage, she put the coat back. It wasn’t like she was going to be outside anyway; just long enough to walk to the car and to the school.

“Have fun,” Lindsay said as she walked them to the door. She gave Ashlyn a kiss, “Have fun Sweetie,” she whispered. “Don’t let Bryce get you down. Have fun in spite of him. Show him what he’s missing,” she winked.

“Thanks Momma,” Ashlyn said as she walked out the door.

“You have fun too,” Lindsay grinned at Dale. “Just remember; they are all junior high teenagers,” she laughed when Dale groaned. “Don’t let them annoy you too much.”

“Spending a Saturday night at a junior high dance with a bunch of horny girls who will all be trying to get with me. And I can’t dance.” Dale sighed. That was what he wasn’t looking forward to; all the junior high girls that wouldn’t leave him alone.

“You can too dance,” Lindsay told him matter of fact. “I remember.”

Dale’s eyes widened, “I can’t dance like that with my daughter!”

Lindsay busted out laughing, shoving Dale toward the door. “You’ve danced with you mom and sister before. That’s how you dance with Ashlyn. And I know you’re gonna have a hard time with all the other girls there and I hope you know what a big deal this is to her that you’re doing this.”

“I know,” Dale smiled as they stepped out onto the porch. “So what you were talking about earlier? What base didn’t I have covered?”

“That one base thirteen years ago,” Lindsay said pointedly.

“Ah,” Dale nodded knowingly. “Can’t get ‘em all the time.” He told her. “You could throw on a dress and come with us.”

“I don’t have a date,” Lindsay shook her head.

“I got another arm,” Dale winked. “I’ll be a pimp walking in with two chicks.”

“Get out of here,” Lindsay laughed, giving Dale a small shove. “Have fun.” She shook her head as Dale headed down the walk toward the Tahoe. She gave a wave before turning to go back in the house. She had pictures to e-mail.

**

“You ready?” Dale asked as he parked in the parking lot of the school.

“They ain’t gonna swoon all over you are they?” Ashlyn asked as they climbed from the car. Dale met her in front of the vehicle where he offered his arm to her. She giggled and accepted it.

“Probably,” Dale said honestly. “But you’re my date. All my dances are reserved for you.”

They made their way into the door and down the short hallway that lead to the opening of the gym. Ashlyn felt the stares from the couples they had past and felt heat rush to her cheeks. She clutched Dale’s arm tighter as they walked through the double doors and into the decorated gym. It was as if the music stopped and a spotlight hit them. One by one heads turned to look at them

“Does this always happen when you walk into a room?” Ashlyn asked as she stared around the room, seeing the eyes looking at them. She could tell they were mostly looking at Dale. She noticed a flash and looked at the photographer, seeing Chelsea smile at her. Chelsea was in her math class and on the yearbook staff. They got along pretty well, but didn’t travel in the same social circle.

“Only when I have a beautiful girl on my arm,” Dale responded as he led them toward the table housing the punch. He poured a drink, cautiously sniffing the cup before handing it to Ashlyn before gathering one for himself.

“It’s too early to be spiked,” Ashlyn giggled. “That usually happens in an hour or so.” Seeing the look on Dale’s face, she laughed. “I’m only kidding.” She looked over the couples on the dance floor. They had started to dance again, but every so often would look over at her and Dale. She didn’t see Brittany or Bryce. She wondered if they were even there yet.

When the current song ended and a slow song came on, Dale offered his hand to Ashlyn, “May I have this dance?”

“Yes, you may,” Ashlyn placed her hand in his followed him as he led her out onto the dance floor. “I can’t dance very well…”

“Now you tell me,” Dale said as he gave her small twirl. “You had to wear the heels, huh?”

“They looked cute with the dress,” Ashlyn said as she tried to follow Dale’s feet. She cringed when she stepped on his foot. “I’m sorry!”

“It’s alright,” Dale winced. “I have steel toes on.”

“Really?”

“No,” Dale shook his head as the pain subsided. By the end of the night he figured she’d either be a great dancer or his toes would be black and blue.

“Did you take Momma dancing?” Ashlyn ask out of the blue as the song ended and a fast one came on.

“Well…I…uh…” Dale started, feeling heat rise to his cheeks as he thought about the evening he and Lindsay shared. She had dragged him from bed during a day where they were laying amidst the covers. The radio had been playing softly in the background – some jazz station he had found the night before to set the mood. Lindsay pulled him up and they swayed softly to the music, skin against skin. It was well into the third song before he finally led her back to his bed and made love to her.

Ashlyn giggled at Dale’s expression. “Its okay, Dale; I have a pretty good idea what happened.” She saw Dale’s eyes widened and her grin broadened. “I’m here aren’t I?”

“Ashlyn.”

Ashlyn looked up at her name and saw Bryce standing in front of her. Her heart lodged in her throat and she forgot to breath. She didn’t know what to say. In her mind when this scenario happened, she’d tell him he wasn’t good enough for her and fling her hair over her shoulder and walk away. He had his chance to ask her. But now that he was here, the words jumbled up.

Dale looked at his daughter to the boy standing in front of them. Judging by his daughter’s reaction he presumed this to the infamous Bryce; the same boy that broke her heart a couple days ago. He crossed his arms as he leveled a glare, taking a step closer to Ashlyn.

“Hi,” Ashlyn said, clasping her hands together in front of her as she stared at Bryce. She looked over his shoulder but didn’t see Brittany. She wondered where she was.

“Uhm, hi,” Bryce mumbled, swallowing hard as he dared a glance at Dale before quickly looking away. He heard the rumors over the week about how she wanted to go to the dance with him and that she liked him. He only wished he had heard them sooner; he would have asked her to the dance then Brittany. “Wo…would you like to dance?”

Ashlyn was sure she didn’t do a good job hiding her surprise. She turned eager eyes toward Dale. He was her date and she didn’t want to leave him by himself, but she didn’t want to turn down Bryce’s offer. Her eyes pleaded with Dale as she felt the seconds tick away. When she saw Dale smile, she gave him a huge grin before turning back to Bryce. “I’d love to.” She slipped her hand in his, allowing him to lead her out to the middle of the dance floor as the fast song turned into a slow one.

Dale stood back against the wall, his eyes never leaving the dancing couple. He made sure Bryce’s hands never traveled below the Mason-Dixon Line. The moment was bittersweet. He wanted to pull Bryce away from his daughter and keep her to himself. He wasn’t ready to lose her to boys and the mall. The smile on Ashlyn’s face stopped him from following through with his plan. He wanted to do everything he possibly could to make sure that smile never fell from her face.

“Hi.”

Dale looked at the girl whom wondered over to stand beside him. He took in the girl’s attire from the revealing dress, large diamond-like earrings and necklace, to the too much make up and platinum blonde hair piled high. He would bet money she was a cheerleader. He found it slightly amusing that this was the type of girl that would have never given him the time of day when he was in school.

“I saw you standing over here alone and figured you needed some company,” Brittany said as she twirled a strand of her hair around her finger as she smiled at Dale.

“I’m surrounded by people constantly; I prefer alone time when I can get it,” Dale said, his eyes flickering back to Ashlyn.

“I enjoy alone time as well; maybe we can have a private moment on the dance floor together.”

Dale blinked his eyes and thought about what she just said. ‘Was she propositioning me? She’s the same age as my daughter, for crying out loud!’ He told himself he shouldn’t be surprised that this happened that he should have been expecting it. And he was; but that still didn’t cause him to be any less astounded when it happened. He smiled to himself; thinking about what Lindsay would do if she found out a thirteen year old just asked him for a private moment on the dance floor.

“Sorry, all my dances are reserved for my daughter,” Dale replied.

“Oh come on, just one?” Brittany begged, her body slumping forward, exposing her cleavage.

Dale wanted to take his jacket off and wrap it around her shoulders. There was no reason for a girl that young to be showing off any part of her body. “The only reason I am here is for my daughter. It’s not to dance with you or anyone else.” He turned his attention away from her and back to Ashlyn. He heard the huff next to him and fought to keep the smirk off his face.

The scene that happened next made his blood boil. He watched as Brittany walked across the dance floor toward his daughter and Bryce. It took every ounce he had not to follow. He was far enough away that with the music that he couldn’t hear the words being said.

Brittany tapped on Bryce shoulder, causing them both to turn and look at her. Dale could see the smirk on her features from his position and just watched as her lips moved as she pulled Bryce away. Dale moved across the dance floor quickly. He didn’t know how many kids he pushed out of the way. His mind was on Ashlyn and getting to her.

The music quickly fell into another slow song and he took the opportunity to pull her to him. His hands clenched with anger feeling the small sobs and he wrapped his arms around her and gently moved to the music under the pretense of them dancing.

“Ashlyn,” he whispered. “It’s alright.”

“I wish I could go back to being invisible,” Ashlyn mumbled.

“I’m sorry, Ash,” Dale hugged her tighter. “What did she say to you?”

“She said…I’d… I’d be…just…just…like Momma,” she sniffled. “A slut…”

The anger coursing through Dale intensified. He wanted to find the lizard in making and ring her scrawny neck. He counted to ten in his head, willing himself to calm down. “Your mother is not a slut – the furthest thing from it, okay? Don’t listen to anything she has to say alright? People like her, their opinions don’t matter anyway. Hey, how about we ditch this place and go get some ice cream?”

“Wow, dancing and ice cream, I must be something.”

‘That you are kid; that you are,’ Dale said to himself as he ushered his daughter from the dance.


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter Forty Four

“Where are you going?” Ashlyn asked as she looked into her mother’s room, seeing her putting earrings in her ears. She took in her mom’s appearance; dressed in a black halter v-neck dress that reached her knees. There was a sheer detail in a criss-crossing ruche pattern beneath the bust. Her hair pulled back loosely in a pony tail of curled tresses; with a few curls around her face.

“Alex asked me to go to his Christmas party with him,” Lindsay said as she gave herself a once over in the mirror. She smoothed the dress over her stomach, loving how it fit her.

“That’s a pretty dress,” Ashlyn said, watching as Lindsay dabbed perfume on her wrist and neck. “I like the necklace too,” she commented on the sparkling jewelry as her mother clasped it around her neck.

“Alex bought them for me,” Lindsay grinned into the mirror, happy with her appearance. “He gave them to me early so I can wear them both tonight.”

“Oh,” Ashlyn nodded. She frowned not knowing how she felt about her mother going out on a date with Alex .She loved Alex; he had been a surrogate father of sorts to her. There would have been a time when she would be happy that he was going out with her mother again. When they were dating, she’d lie in bed at night praying that Alex would ask her mother to marry him and he would move in with them. She would finally have a dad.

But now that her real father was back in the picture, Ashlyn didn’t know what she wanted. Her mother had been happy with Alex when they were together, but that hadn’t been enough. She would be lying if she said there wasn’t a small notion in the back of her mind that wanted Dale to be a permanent part of their lives; that she wanted both her father and mother to be together. Her running argument was what child didn’t want that?

“Gramma is on her way over to watch you,” Lindsay grabbed her strap black high heeled sandals, sitting on the bed, slipping them on her feet. Grabbing her black clutch purse she grinned when she heard the door bell.

“Does Dale know you’re going out with Alex tonight?” Ashlyn asked as she followed her mother down the stairs. She didn’t figure Dale knew about the date and from what she picked up on, he would have been upset to know.

“No,” Lindsay said, smoothing her dress out again as she reached for the door. “And it doesn’t matter if he did. I’m allowed to go out.” She pulled open the door, grinning when she saw Alex standing on the other side in his suit. “Alex! Look at you,” she gave him a once over. “You do clean up nice.”

“Lindsay…” Alex’s breath stopped in his throat as he looked at Lindsay standing in front of him in the dress he had bought for her. He had been right, it hugged her every curve. “You look absolutely breathtaking. Stunning,” he could hardly contain his excitement at the thought of going out on another date with Lindsay. He couldn’t believe when she had accepted his offer. He didn’t think she would go out with him with Dale in the picture, but it surely made him stand up straighter and mark a tally in his box.

“Thank you,” Lindsay blushed.

“Hi Ashlyn,” Alex smiled at the girl. He felt the shift in their relationship once Dale came back into the picture. He had once been everything to the girl and she used to come to him with everything. Now he was lucky to get a smile and a ‘how are you’. He knew that once he got Lindsay back, Ashlyn would be a little harder. But once she realized that Dale wouldn’t be the man she hoped he’d be, Alex would be right there to step in.

“Hey,” Ashlyn said. “Hi Gramma,” she smiled seeing Grace walking up the steps behind her mother and Alex. “Bye Mom,” she said as she walked into the living room, turning on the television.

“Lindsay, you look beautiful,” Grace smiled at her daughter, kissing her check. “Alex, just look at you. Handsome,” she gave him a hug. “Have fun tonight,” she called to the adults as Lindsay grabbed her black dress coat.

“Call me if you need me,” Lindsay told her mother. “Bye Honey,” she called to her daughter who waved her hand in response. “She’s grumpy tonight,” she informed her mother before walking out the front door with Alex.

“You okay?” Grace asked her granddaughter when she walked into the living room. She sat down on the coach waiting for an answer.

“I didn’t know Mom was going out tonight,” Ashlyn said as she flipped through the channels.

“Oh,” Grace said as it donned on her. “You don’t want her going out? It’s Alex, you like him.”

“I know,” Ashlyn sighed. “I don’t know. It’s dumb,” she shrugged.

“Ashlyn what is it?” Grace asked, worried about granddaughter. “You know you can tell me anything.”

“I just think she should be with Dad,” her eyes widened and she stared at her grandmother in shock. “I…I mean Dale…”

Grace smiled softly, patting Ashlyn’s hand. “That’s not an uncommon feeling, Sweetie. You want your parents to be together. But you can’t expect it to happen that fast. Dale just came back in your lives…”

“It’s a stupid idea,” Ashlyn said jumping up from the couch. “Forget I said anything,” she mumbled before quickly leaving the room.

“Oh baby,” Grace frowned watching Ashlyn run from the room. “I hope you know what you’re doing Lindsay.”

**

“Thank you for coming tonight,” Alex whispered in Lindsay’s ear as the song they were dancing to ended. He took her hand, leading her back to the table, where he pulled out her chair. “I’m gonna go grab something to drink. Can I get you a refill?”

“Just a water,” Lindsay smiled. “Need to counteract the alcohol,” she told him when he made a face. She had a Bud Light when she arrived and then during her dinner. She didn’t want to get drunk or be hung over tomorrow. She figured if she alternated water and beer, she’d be fine.

“Alright,” Alex smiled before walking across the banquet hall toward the open bar. “Bud Light,” he told the bartender and he turned around scanning the room. He watched as the police captain stopped to talk with Lindsay. He wondered what they were talking about when he saw Lindsay smile and laugh. Before he walked away, Lindsay stood up, hugging the older gentleman.

“Hey Barnes,” Bennett clapped his hand on Alex’s shoulder before he ordered a beer. “I see you ended up with the hottest date tonight. How’d you pull that off?”

“I asked her,” Alex shrugged, taking a drink. “She said yes. I didn’t promise her anything like you did Lisa.”

“All night lovin’ from her is worth suffering through a few hours in a suit,” Jason laughed. “Though you’re probably gonna have a better night than me. A body like that… man she has to be… Oh man, just thinking about it! You’re a lucky SOB.”

Alex glared at Jason and followed his eye sight seeing him staring at Lindsay. He slapped the back of his head. “Lindsay is mine, don’t get any damn ideas. You won’t like the consequences if I see you breathing wrong in her direction.”

“Whoa…” Jason chuckled lightly, turning back to Alex. “I got ya. She’s yours. You wanna hit that… Good luck. You’re gonna need it. Because you got some mighty competition with Racer Boy.”

Alex ordered another beer as he watched Jason walk away, heading toward another group of officers. There wasn’t going to be a competition between him and Dale. Dale may have fathered Ashlyn but that was the only thing he had going for him. He knew he was the better choice for Lindsay. They had a past relationship that went on for a few years not a two week fling after high school.

He knew all of Lindsay’s worries and secrets. He knew her favorite foods and perfumes; how many sugars she put in her tea and what side of the bed she liked to sleep on. What he loved best though, was that he knew Ashlyn better than Dale did. He knew how she broke her arm and what her grade cards have been. Dale didn’t hold a candle to him.

He took a swig of his drink and walked over to a group of his buddies. Sending a round of greetings he looked towards Lindsay, seeing her talking with a female cop. Her laugh tickled his ears and stirred his desire. When he saw her take out her phone, his frown increased as she talked on the device. He wondered who was on the other end, if it was Ashlyn calling to say good night or if Dale had found time in his busy life to drop a line.

“Hey,” he pulled Allan away from the guys. “I need a favor.”

“Sure what’s up?” Allan asked as he took a drink of his whiskey sour.

“I need you to take Lindsay’s phone when I take her out on the dance floor,” Alex said, continuing to watch her talking on the phone. “Then take a picture of us kissing…”

“You’re gonna kiss?” Allan laughed. “I haven’t seen you do more than dance with her the entire night and even then you could fit another person between you.”

“I’m gonna kiss her,” he turned back towards Allan. “You take the picture with her phone.”

“And do what with it?” Allan asked.

“I want you to scroll through her contacts and send it to Racer Boy,” he watched as his Allan’s eyes widened with surprise.

“She’s gonna kick your ass…He’s gonna kick your ass,” Allan shook his head.

“Need I remind you of what happened in the locker room last month?” Alex whispered harshly.

“You wouldn’t,” Allan paled. “I can get kicked off the force if you say something!”

“What’s it gonna be?”

“Fine, I’ll do it,” Allan snipped. “I’ll talk your fucking picture.” He snapped walking away.

“Good,” Alex grinned, heading back towards Lindsay, seeing her off the phone. “Hey,” he smiled at her when he reached their table, placing a hand on her back exposed by the dress. “Would you like to dance?”

“Sure,” Lindsay smiled, standing up, letting Alex lead her to the dance floor. 

“You’re the talk of all the room,” Alex told her as he placed his hands on her hips. Remembering Allan’s taunt, he pulled her closer to him. “Everyone is saying how you are the most beautiful woman here and I’m the lucky one.”

“Not even close,” Lindsay blushed and shook her head.

“You are beautiful Linds,” Alex leaned closer meeting her eyes. “No one comes close to how beautiful you are tonight. I am lucky to have you on my arm,” he leaned closer placing his lips on hers. He closed his eyes, pulling her tighter against him, wrapping his arms around her.

Lindsay froze in shock when he kissed her. She didn’t understand why he was kissing her; she never gave him any signals. Least she didn’t think she did. She brought her hands up between them, placing them on his chest intent to push him away. “Alex…” she started which was caught off when he shoved his tongue in her mouth. She groaned at the intrusion and pushed harder against him. “Alex…no…”

“You wanna get out of here?” Alex pulled back, still keeping her close to him. He looked past her seeing Allan putting Lindsay’s phone back in her purse.

“Alex,” Lindsay shook her head. “I’m sorry; I don’t know what you thought but this…”

“Come on,” Alex took her hand leading her back to the table where he grabbed his jacket and her purse. He made the rounds before walking toward the exit doors. He grabbed her coat from the room and slipped it on her. Opening the door he allowed her to go out first before following her. He took her hand again, pulling her closer to him. “Sure got colder,” he said, picking up the pace to his car.

“Yeah,” Lindsay climbed into Alex’s car, sitting quietly in the passenger seat. Once they pulled away from the parking lot she turned to him. “Alex…”

“Lindsay, I think I made a mistake…” he said cutting her off. He glanced at her when they came to a red light. “We never should have broken up. I love you, Linds. I want you back.”


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter Forty Five

“What can I do?” Dale asked as he walked into the kitchen, smelling supper. He watched his mother reaching into the cabinet for the dinner plates. “Let me get that, Momma,” he took her spot, and pulled the china from the cupboards and moved to the dining room table, laying the dishes out.

“Thank you,” Brenda smiled gratefully at her son, checking on the creamed noodles on the stove, giving them a stir.

“Have you decided what you’re gonna do for Christmas yet?” Kelley asked as she finished mixing the salad together. She put the bowl in the fridge while the rest of the dinner was still cooking.

“We agreed over Thanksgiving, but Lindsay doesn’t want to give up Christmas,” Dale explained, recalling the conversation he had with Lindsay earlier in the week. “She has to work in the morning. I was thinking about spending a couple days with them before Christmas and coming back and spending Christmas here.”

“Why don’t you stay there for Christmas and have your own there?” Brenda suggested. “I’m sure Lindsay will let you stay. You can do Christmas the night before or when she gets home from work.”

“I thought about that, but then I wouldn’t be here,” Dale said. 

“We understand, Dale,” Kelley said. “We know you want to be there. We can either celebrate before you leave or when you get back. The girls will understand. Of course they’ll be happy with the presents they get to open albeit early or late.”

“Are you sure?” Dale questioned. “Mom?”

“Spend Christmas with your daughter and Lindsay,” Brenda said, cupping her son’s check. “It’s where you belong.”

“Thanks Mom,” Dale grinned, happy that he was going to be able to spend Christmas with his daughter. “I’m gonna call Lindsay.”

Kelley smiled and shook her head as her younger brother grabbed his phone, leaving the room. “He doesn’t know does he?”

“That he’s in love with her? They never do,” Brenda softly laughed. She shook her head turning back around to the stove. She gave everything one final stir before turning the burners off. While Kelley went to gather Karsyn and Kennedy, she moved everything to the table. She helped her daughter get her grandchildren settled and waited for Dale to return. “Go ahead and start the girls,” she said standing up from the table when her son failed to return after a few minutes.

She made her way into living in search of Dale. She frowned seeing the empty room and continued her search. She found him sitting in Kelley’s office staring out the window. She frowned seeing the tight features on his face and grew afraid that the conversation didn’t go as good as she thought it would.

“Dale, what’s wrong?” She asked. “Did she say no to the idea?”

“No, she thought it was a good idea,” Dale said not looking at his mother. He was unable to overcome the feeling of being punched in the gut. He heard his daughter’s voice telling him that Lindsay wasn’t home. She was out on a date with Alex.

“Then what’s going on?” Brenda questioned.

“She’s…” He broke off hearing his phone jingle and vibrate in his hand. He glanced down at it seeing an incoming picture mail from Lindsay. He opened the mail waiting for it to load; his fingers tightening as it came in to view. His eyes drew in as he glared at the screen; the breath knocked from him as the seriousness of the picture hit him.

“What is it?” Brenda asked worried, seeing Dale’s face. She walked to her son, staring at the phone in his hand. She couldn’t get a good look and took a hold of Dale’s hand, turning it so she could see the screen. Her eyes widened in shock as she stared at the picture of Lindsay kissing Alex. “Who sent that?”

“She did,” Dale said grimly. Why did she send this to him? Did she really think he wanted to see it; to see her in Alex’s arms, kissing him? “I need some air,” he shoved the phone in his pocket, turning on his heel. “Start without me. I’m not very hungry anymore.”

Brenda watched her son leave the room. She wanted to grab the phone and call Lindsay giving her a piece of her mind. Then ask her what possessed her to send something like that to Dale. She had to have known Dale’s feelings for her. He didn’t actually do a very good job at hiding them. As she walked back into the dining room, she wondered what the repercussions were going to be.

**

Dale blew out the smoke from the puff he had taken from his cigarette, watching as the light breeze took it away. He stuffed his hand in his pocket and walked off Kelley’s back deck and down the walkway and over the grass. The image of Lindsay and Alex kissing burnt into his head. He felt like taking the end of his cigarette and grinding it into his arm, hoping the pain would erase the picture.

She had been right there in front of him again. All he had to do was reach out and she’d be his again. But he didn’t and now she was with Alex. His blood boiled thinking about the cop. He didn’t like him from the minute he met him. It might have to do with the fact that Alex had held a permanent place in Lindsay and Ashlyn’s life. Alex had been there when Dale should have.

As he took out another cigarette he gave a humorless chuckle thinking of the packs that he’s went through since October when he was supposed to be quitting. The stress Lindsay and Ashlyn brought into his life surpassed what he had been going through in the race car. He never figured that would be the case with him. He didn’t date women who brought him stress or took him away from racing.

“Idiot,” he muttered, lighting up the smoke. “You’re not even dating her,” he took a long drag. But he wanted to. Oh how he wanted to relive all the memories from Telluride; to see if the feelings from those weeks still rang true today. If she would fall into his embrace again and mold against his body like she was meant to be there. And if the sensitive skin on her collarbone still caused her to moan.

‘Alex is probably doing that right now,’ the voice in his head taunted him. ‘He’s taking her to his bedroom, where he’s kissing her, running his hands over her body. He’s finding all the same spots that you know so well, making her moan his name.’

“Shut up,” Dale growled, punching the tree in front of him. “Fuck,” he gasped feeling the pain shoot up his arm. “Dumb fuck,” he yelled to himself as he held the cigarette between his lips and pressed his fingers to his left hand, wincing at the pain. “Damnit,” he sighed wondering how many bones he had just broken. He wondered when something would go right in his life. He thought it would when Lindsay returned into it, but he found out he was wrong.

**

“What are we doing here?” Lindsay asked when they pulled into Alex’s driveway. The ride had been silent since he had declared his love for her. She had been shocked and still reeling from the kiss he had given her. She didn’t know what to tell him.

“I thought we could watch a movie or something,” Alex said as he turned off the car. “It’s not like you have a curfew.”

“I have to work tomorrow.”

“You work too much,” Alex told her and he got out of the car, not giving Lindsay’s a chance to turn down his offer.

Lindsay sighed and got out of the car, shivering against the cool air. She held back the urge to shrug his arm off from where he had wrapped it around her shoulders, holding her against the side of his body. She was beginning to regret her decision agreeing to come with him.

“If you would get child support from Racer Boy like I told you, you wouldn’t have to work so many hours,” Alex said as he pushed opened his front door, turning on the light. He shut the door behind her, locking it in the process. He slid his coat off, hanging it on the coat rack before moving to take hers.

“I’m not asking him for child support, Alex. I already told you that.” She didn’t want to discuss her financial situation with him.

“Why not? He should pay for his child not only for right now, but for all the months that he missed. Can you imagine how much that would be? You could quit working, Linds.”

Lindsay narrowed her eyes at Alex. “What is it with everyone here? I am not going after Dale for child support. It was my fault he didn’t know about Ashlyn to begin with. I don’t care how much money he has. I could care less. I love my job and I will continue to work there and use the money that I made from my hard work to pay my bills!”

“Alright,” Alex held his hands up in defeat. He decided to change the subject to get Lindsay calmed down. “What movie do you want to watch?” He asked going into the living room, opening up his cabinet full of movies.

“I think I just want to go home,” Lindsay said. She wanted to go home, get out of the dress she was in, take a long hot shower and rid the day from her thoughts. She wondered if it was too late to call Dale.

“Come on Lindsay,” Alex walked back over to her. “Just stay and watch a movie. You don’t have to go. I’m sorry for pushing about money and Dale I just hate to see you work so much. You need a break,” he took her hands, smiling in satisfaction when she allowed him to lead her to the couch. “I have vacation coming next month, what do you say we get away?

“Alex…”

“Just think about it? I don’t need an answer right now,” Alex grinned at Lindsay’s nod. “Good. Now sit back, while the movie starts. I’ll get us something to drink.”

Lindsay sighed and rubbed her temples. She was too tired to handle Alex’s attempts to get her to agree to anything. She didn’t want to go on a getaway with him. She didn’t want to get back together with him. She didn’t love him anymore like she used to. She didn’t have her heart to give. She reached for her purse and fished her phone out.

“I’ll bring the chocolate.” She sent the text to Christy, pressing the end button.

“I’ll bring the tissues.” The reply came a minute later and Lindsay smiled that no matter the late hour, Christy understood and would be waiting for her at work tomorrow. They had used those messages many times over the years. It was their code message that something was wrong and they needed to talk. She knew if anyone could help her out, it would be Christy.

**

Lindsay watched as the credits began rolling and leaned over, slipping her shoes back on and stood up.

“You don’t have to hurry,” Alex said, scrambling to stand up. She had blocked all his moves during the movie. He didn’t even get to wrap his arm around her.

“I’m tired Alex, I need still need to take a shower,” she said and grabbed her coat from the coat rack slipping it on.

“You can crash here,” Alex offered.

“No, thanks, I need to get home.”

“Alright,” he grabbed his shoes, putting them on before grabbing his keys off the counter. He knew that once Lindsay made up her mind, it was pointless to argue. He figured he’d give her some time to think on what he said tonight and talk to her in a couple days. He smiled thinking of the idea to invite her and Ashlyn with him to his parents for Christmas. All he had to do was sit back and wait now for Dale to do what was expected and break her heart. And after he saw that picture that was as good as done.


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter Forty Six

“You’re kidding me right?” Christy said as they sat in her car, munching of fries they had pick up from McDonald’s during lunch. “He actually said he wanted you back?”

Lindsay nodded, “Yes. I didn’t even know what to say,” she told Christy what had happened during the party, how Alex had kissed her. “I couldn’t believe he just kissed me like that. After that, he was in a hurry to leave, like I was going to sleep with him or something.”

“You shouldn’t have gone back to his place.”

“I didn’t want to, I wanted to go home. But he wouldn’t take no for an answer. I figure there was no harm in watching a movie, ya know? But then he kept rubbing my leg and moving closer to me.”

“It’s funny how he’s all about wanting you back now,” Christy said. “Since Dale’s been in the picture he’s trying to stake his claim. He’s feeling threatened.”

“I don’t know why,” Lindsay sighed. “There is nothing going on between me and Dale.”

“Yeah right,” Christy laughed. “Lindsay, you’re a horrible liar. You know damn well there is something there.”

“Alright,” Lindsay gave in. “There is something there. All he has to do is call and my day is immediately better. Seeing his name in print doesn’t hurt anymore. And sleeping in his arms at the hospital…it’s just like everything from Telluride came back.”

Christy smiling knowingly, “You’re in love!”

Lindsay shook her head, “No, no. I am not in love with Dale.”

“Then explain the butterflies and goofy grins,” Christy grinned raising an eyebrow. Her grin broadened when Lindsay blushed and avoided her gaze. “Ah, ha! You can’t!”

“Shut up,” Lindsay broke into a smile as she shoved Christy’s shoulder. “So what, it’s not like nothing will come of it.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Because. He’s Dale Earnhardt Junior. He can have anyone he wants. I’m just little ole Lindsay Pierce from Kentucky who works too damn much and is in debt up to her ears.”

“You’re also the mother of his child and that makes you outrank any of the skanky hoes that hang around him,” Christy pointed out. “I’m telling you Lindsay, you got him once; you can get him again.”

“That was a long time ago. We are both different now…”

Christy rolled her eyes, “You two are both the same people you were back then. He’s just every woman’s fantasy now.”

“Shut up,” Lindsay laughed. She sobered up when she glanced at the clock. “He’s on his way here.”

Christy raised her eyebrow. “Dale? He’s coming here? Am I finally gonna get to meet him?”

“Not here, here,” she rolled her eyes. “He’s on the way to the house. He’s spending Christmas with us.” She saw the look Christy was giving her and shook her head. “No, he’s spending Christmas with Ashlyn. I just happen to be here too.”

“You’ll see,” Christy shook her head. “Just make sure you hang up plenty of mistletoe. In you’re case; I’d completely cover the ceiling with it.”

Lindsay rolled her eyes and reached for her phone when it started to ring. She cringed seeing Alex’s name come up on the caller ID. “Hello?”

“Hey Linds,” Alex smiled into the phone as he sat behind the wheel of the police cruiser. He was on patrol and had pulled into a parking lot, facing the street, clocking cars. “How are you doing today?”

“I’m alright. On lunch with Christy right now,” Lindsay said tightly. She didn’t want to get back together with Alex. She wouldn’t deny that she still had lingering feelings for the man, but they weren’t like they were supposed to be. It wouldn’t be fair to Alex if she would start up a relationship with him again. She would be lying if she said she would be able to give him her heart, because she couldn’t.

Alex frowned as they fell silent. They always had things to talk about and recently it seemed like they could barely keep a conversation together. He felt anger knowing that it had to do with Dale. “Hey, I was wondering you wanted to go with me to my parents for Christmas? I told them that you had to work in the morning, but I could take Ashlyn and Grace. You could meet us there after work? My folks said you are more than welcome; they’d love to have you.”

“Alex…” she looked at Christy, wishing she could help. She saw her friend giving her a questioning look.

“What’s he saying?” She whispered. She frowned knowing what Alex was trying to pull. He wanted to keep her attention, use their prior relationship to try to win Lindsay away from Dale. She figured he must be an idiot if he thought he stood half a chance with Lindsay’s feelings for Dale.

“What do you say Lindsay?” Alex pressed at her silence. “Spend Christmas with me and my family.”

“I…I can’t Alex,” Lindsay said.

“Why not? Come on Linds, I don’t like you sitting at home with just Ashlyn and your mother. Come over to my parent’s house.”

“I can’t Alex; Dale is coming in today and spending Christmas with us,” Lindsay listened to the silence over the phone. “I’m sorry Alex.”

“Yeah,” Alex said tightlipped. “Listen I have to go, someone just sped past. I’ll talk to you later.” He flipped his phone shut, tossing it onto the passenger seat. He hit his steering wheel in frustration. “Damn it,” he growled. “That fucking bastard…”

**  
“Momma, why can’t we decorate the tree?” Ashlyn asked as she sat on the couch untangling the lights.

“Well for one, the lights are all knotted,” Lindsay chuckled bringing in another box of ornaments. The house was usually all decorated by now, but this year had been so much different from years past. They had already strung the lights up around the porch and set up knick knacks in the house, but they hadn’t gotten a tree until last weekend. It had sat bare in the living room. “Maybe this year we’ll actually roll them up and put them in the box neatly.”

Ashlyn chuckled, “You say that every year. And every year they just get tossed in the box. Then I’m sitting here the following year, untangling them.”

“You’re so good at it,” Lindsay laughed, ruffling her daughter’s hair.

“So, what is the other reason?” Ashlyn asked as she continued working on the strand of lights.

“For what?” Lindsay asked as she opened up the box, smiling at all the ornaments in the box. There were mostly the store bought bulbs, but there were also special ornaments. She had the ornament from her very first Christmas, along with the gold rocking horse ornament engraved with her name from her late grandmother’s tree. In the bottom of the cardboard box held a very special box which enclosed all of Ashlyn’s ornaments. She had her very first Christmas ornament and an ornament to commemorate every year there after.

Ashlyn rolled her eyes at her mother’s distraction. “The reason we can’t decorate the tree.”

“Oh right,” Lindsay left the box in the corner of the room, turning back to her daughter. “Since Dale is coming in tonight, I thought we could all decorate it together. Is that alright?”

Ashlyn stared down at the lights, watching her fingers work at the knot. She thought about all the Christmases prior and how she wished she had her father there to help decorate; to lift her up and put the angel on top instead of using a chair. She lifted her head up, her eyes shining with unshed tears, “I’d think that’s a good idea, Momma.”

Lindsay smiled, “Good,” she said and moved back the hallway to the closet for the next box that held the tinsel and garland. She opened the box, making sure it indeed held the Christmas decorations and a sprig of mistletoe stared up at her. A small smile toyed at her lips when she thought back to her conversation with Christy. The past couple years, she didn’t see a reason to hang it up. Fingering it, she tried to think of a perfect place to hang it. She jumped hearing the sound of shattering glass and Ashlyn’s screams. She dropped the box and ran back to the living room.

“Ashlyn!” She yelled and wrapped her arms around her daughter’s frame when she met her running from the living room. “What happened? What’s wrong?”

“Someone threw something in the window,” Ashlyn clutched her mother crying. “I didn’t hear anything, then the glass broke and something hit the floor.”

“Go to your room,” Lindsay told her firmly. “Don’t argue, go to your room and stay there until I say come out.” Once her daughter was in her room, she slowly made her way into the living room, looking around. She saw the gaping hole in the front window, letting the cold air in from outside. Her eyes zeroed in on the brick lying in the middle of the rug. Leaning over she saw the words, ‘you didn’t listen, bitch’.

Paling, she ran to the phone quickly dialing 9-1-1. “Please hurry, someone threw a brick through my front window!”

**

The blood drained from Dale’s face when he saw the cop cars gathered outside Lindsay’s house. He slammed on the brakes causing the back end of his Tahoe to fishtail. Gaining control of the SUV, Dale shoved it into park, launching from the vehicle. His heart pounded in his chest as ran across the street to the sidewalk, willing his legs to go faster.

“Sir, wait…” A police officer stepped in the middle of his sidewalk, his hands held out in front of him.

“No,” Dale said trying to break past the officer, who pushed against his chest, stopping him from going to the house. “Let me go.”

“Sir,” the officer said struggling. “We’re still processing the scene.”

“That’s my family,” Dale yelled. “Let me go!” He needed to get inside the house to see them. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he thought of what could be wrong, what the officers were keeping him from seeing.

“Stop,” Officer Jackson walked up to the scuffle. “Neil, let him go,” he told the officer curtly. “He’s the father,” he said explaining.

Dale fixed his shirt, standing up straight, staring at the new officer, whom he’d met back in October. “I want to see them now.” He glared at the officer that had been holding him.

“Follow me,” Officer Jackson turned around walking down the sidewalk in front of Lindsay’s house. “Your daughter and Lindsay are fine. Someone threw a brick through the front window,” he said explaining what was going on.

Dale relaxed hearing that everyone was fine, but still stood on edge. ‘Someone threw a brick through the window?’ His heart was still beating rapidly in his chest. He quickened his pace up the walk, leaping over the stairs on the porch. He walked through the threshold and into the living room seeing Lindsay and Ashlyn huddled together on the couch with Alex sitting on front of them on the coffee table, talking softly. He pursed his lips seeing Alex’s hand on Lindsay’s knee. He brushed off the jealousy feeling, knowing that nothing mattered but finding out his family’s safety.

“Daddy!” Ashlyn broke from Lindsay’s hold, rushing around the table to where Dale was standing in the entry way. When she reached him, she wrapped her arms around him, burying her head against his chest. She held him tight as she openly sobbed against him.

Dale held his daughter tightly, closing his eyes when he felt them fill with tears. ‘She called me daddy,’ he thought. The emotions ran through him, clogging up his throat hearing the word. His heart swelled. He glanced up feeling someone move beside him. Seeing Lindsay standing there, he held out one arm allowing her to join. Pulling her against him, he held them both trying to give them as much comfort as he could.

Alex glared as he watched the scene in front of him. He stood up and stalked out of the room his hands clenched at his sides and face red with anger. He had almost convinced Lindsay to stay at his house for the night when Dale had burst through the door. Climbing into his car he pulled from the driveway. Seeing the stopped Tahoe in the middle of the road still running, he smirked. Grabbing his citation pad from the clipboard on his seat, he quickly wrote out a violation and stuck it underneath the windshield wiper blade.

“Bastard,” he mumbled and drove around Dale’s vehicle and sped off down the road.


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter Forty Seven

“Are you guys okay?” Dale asked looking down at his daughter and Lindsay.

“Yeah,” Lindsay nodded. She blushed and took a step back from Dale, embarrassed that she so easily fell into his arms. She was fine until the minute he walked through the door. When she saw him, she wanted to seek comfort in his arms. She moved back to the couch, sighing as she sat down.

“I’m okay,” Ashlyn mumbled as she lifted her face from Dale’s chest. “Just scared.”

“I’m sorry,” Dale hugged his daughter, before he walked her to the couch. Sitting down next to Lindsay with Ashlyn between them, he asked, “What happened?”

“I was sitting here untangling the lights for the tree,” Ashlyn spoke up. “Mom was getting more decorations from the closet. The brick just came flying through the window, landing on the floor. I didn’t even know what it was.”

“I met Ashlyn in the hallway and made her go to her room and I called the police,” Lindsay finished. “Whoever it was just wanted to scare us.”

“It worked,” Ashlyn leaned against Dale, liking how he hugged her to him, kissing the top of her head. “What happened to your hand?” She asked seeing his left hand in a splint.

“Jesus Dale,” Lindsay stared wide-eyed at the splint that adorned Dale’s hand. She had failed to see it when he walked in. She was more concerned about being held to notice details. She didn’t even know when or where Alex went. “What did you do?”

“Hairline fracture in my hand,” Dale cringed forgetting that he’d have to explain how he broke his hand. And once he said he punched a tree, he was going to have to tell her why. That wasn’t something he didn’t want to dive into right now. He didn’t care about her relationship with Alex at this point in time. He cared about their safety and why someone was throwing things through the window.

“Can you still drive?” Ashlyn asked, fingering the cast.

“I can still drive,” Dale nodded. He turned his attention to his daughter, ignoring Lindsay’s questioning looks. He wondered how long he would be able to hold of her questions. “By the time I need to get back in a race car, it will be healed. If not, I’ll get it off so I can drive.”

“What if it’s not healed?” Lindsay asked worried. “Surely you won’t take it off if it’s not healed.”

“I’ll figure something out,” Dale shrugged. “I’ll be in the racecar at Daytona; you can bet on it.”

“Ms. Pierce?” Officer Jackson said as he stepped up to the small family. “We’re done here.”

“Did you find anything?” Lindsay asked, standing up.

“No, Ma’am,” Officer Jackson shook his head. “We’re gonna process what we gathered and hopefully get a hit off the prints that were on the brick. We’re gonna have the night patrol drive past during the night, just to make sure there’s nothing out of the ordinary.”

“They might come back?” Ashlyn asked wide-eyed.

“Oh, no baby,” Lindsay pulled Ashlyn into a hug. “It’s just a precautionary measure. They don’t think they will come back.”

“That’s right, Ashlyn,” Officer Jackson said. “They won’t come back. They just wanted to scare you.”

“Well it worked,” Ashlyn huffed, moving to sit back on the couch. She picked up the forgotten lights and started working on them. Trying to get her mind off the recent events.

“Sorry,” Officer Jackson apologized. “Now Lindsay, if you get anymore threatening notes or letters, don’t throw them away. Call the station and we’ll send someone over, alright?”

Lindsay felt Dale’s eyes burning through the back of her head and she felt heat in her cheeks as she blushed. She nodded and walked toward the door with the officer. “I will,” she shook his hand. “Thank you.”

“Not a problem,” Officer Jackson said as he settled his hat back on his head. “Tell Dale he needs to move his vehicle.”

“Thanks,” Lindsay shut the door behind him; she shivered at the chilly air that settled into the room. She needed to find something to put over the window until she could get it fixed. She turned around and was met with Dale’s eyes boring into hers. “You need to move your car.”

“What was he talking about? Other letters?” Dale asked. “Lindsay…”

“Alright,” Lindsay sighed. “I’ve gotten a few letters in the mail. Just telling me to stay away from you and you’ll get tired of playing house. I ripped them up and threw them away.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Dale asked, starting to get angry.

“There was nothing you could have done. They were dumb letters written by someone that doesn’t have a life,” Lindsay said. “They were harmless. I just threw them away.”

“Obviously they weren’t harmless!” Dale said, raising his voice. “Someone just threw a brick through the window. That’s not harmless. You could have been hurt! Ashlyn could have been hurt! It could have been worse!”

“But it wasn’t!” Lindsay said frustrated. “It’s over and done with. I can’t bring the letters back. I promised to give anymore to the police. It’s done. Don’t worry about it.”

Dale opened his mouth to reply but snapped it shut. He turned around and stomped from the house. He hoped the cold would dissipate some of the anger he felt brewing.

“Momma,” Ashlyn looked up from the lights, tears shining in her eyes. “I think Daddy’s scared too.”

Lindsay blew out a heavy breath, letting her shoulders slump. “I’m sorry baby,” she sat next to her daughter, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “How about I go put on some hot chocolate and we get back to decorating the tree now that your Dad is here?” At her daughter’s nod, she made her way into the kitchen.

“Son of a bitch, that God damned little bastard…”

Lindsay turned hearing Dale’s words as he walked back into the house, shutting and locking the front door. Her brows furrowed in confusion seeing the pink paper in his hands. “What’s that?”

“Your boyfriend gave me a fucking ticket!” Dale growled.

“What?” Lindsay asked taking the paper from Dale’s hands, reading over the citation. “What is this crap?” She wondered aloud. Dale had been cited for illegal parking. She saw Alex’s signature at the bottom and her hand tightened on the paper, causing it to crinkle. ‘What did he think he was doing?’ She thought. “I’ll talk to him…” she told him as the Dale’s words processed. ‘Boyfriend?’ “And he’s not my boyfriend.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Dale took the paper back from her. “I’ll get the window fixed. Doubt it will be tonight, but at least tomorrow,” he said walking from the room.

**

“Damn, what did you do, tie these in a knot before putting them back in the box?” Dale muttered as he tried working the knots, but with his hand in a splint, proved useless.

Ashlyn giggled before taking the strand back, “We do this every year. I’ll finish them. You can put this strand up,” she handed her father the strand that she just untangled. “I’ll get these.”

“This is the last box,” Lindsay said as she carrying the final box of decorations from the closet. “How are those lights coming?”

“Easier if you just bought new,” Dale told her as he crawled underneath the tree to plug the lights in.

Lindsay licked her lips watch Dale on the floor. Feeling the heat rise in her cheeks she shook her head, “What are you doing?”

“Putting the lights on,” he said standing up.

“You’re doing it all wrong,” Lindsay rolled her eyes, taking the lights from him. “You string lights from the top.”

“She always like this?” Dale joked looking at Ashlyn as she giggled. “Top or bottom, the lights will still work.” He swallowed hard seeing Lindsay stand on her tip toes to reach the top of the tree. “Let me,” he said, moving to stand behind her. He grabbed the lights from her outstretched hand, laying them on the top branches. His body responded to the close proximity of their bodies and he took a deep breath, breathing in her smell.

“These are done,” Ashlyn said, smiling as she watched her parents stringing the lights. “After that we can put the ornaments up.”

“Wow, I thought my Mom had a lot of ornaments,” Dale said as he watched Lindsay and Ashlyn taking the bulbs out and start to hang them. When Lindsay grabbed the last one, he lifted the box out of the bottom of the ornament box. Taking the lid off, his eyes wandered over the porcelain figures. Pulling one out, he saw the inscription, ‘Baby’s 1st Christmas’.

“Those are my ornaments,” Ashlyn said softly. “Momma bought me one each Christmas. She’d give it to me when we decorated the tree for me to open and hang where I wanted.”

Dale took his time and looked at all the ornaments, each dated with the year. When he handed the twelfth and final one to Ashlyn, he stood and looked at the tree, seeing thirteen years of memories hanging on the branches. He couldn’t help but be a little saddened by the fact that the memories didn’t include him.

“Daddy?”

He turned at Ashlyn’s voice seeing her holding out a small gift wrapped box. He looked at her confused, then to Lindsay. When she sent him a small smile he took the box from his daughter and moved back to the couch where he tore the wrapping paper off. Taking the lid off, his breath caught seeing the ornament nestled in tissue paper. Carefully lifting it from the box he looked it over seeing the detail of a man with his arms wrapped around a little girl. He ran his fingers over the engraving, ‘A bridge to our future, linking our past. 2008.’

He stood up and walked to Lindsay as a tear silently rolled down his cheek. Overcome with emotion he simply wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against him, holding her tightly. “Thank you,” he whispered in her ear. Feeling her nod, he tightened his hold.

“Let’s put it on the tree, Daddy,” Ashlyn smiled through her tears when her father let go of her mother.

“Let’s,” Dale said and moved to the tree, looking over the branches for the perfect spot. He smiled placing it in an empty spot near the top. He watched as Ashlyn put her new ornament next to his. He wrapped an arm around her when she placed hers around his waist.

Lindsay snapped the picture of father and daughter standing in front of the almost completely decorated Christmas tree. She wiped her cheeks as she picked up the box that held the angel. “We got one more,” she said pulling the angel from the box.

Ashlyn grinned and took the angel from the box and turned to look at her father. “Can you help me Daddy?”

“Of course,” Dale’s grin broadened as he moved Ashlyn to stand in front of him.

“I don’t think…” Lindsay started to object because of Dale’s hand, but seeing the elation of Ashlyn’s face; she held her words and grabbed the camera. She snapped pictures as Dale lifted his daughter allowing her to place the angel atop the tree. She didn’t know how the rest of Dale’s visit could get any better than tonight.


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter Forty Eight

Lindsay groaned, reaching over slapping the snooze button on her alarm clock. Seeing the red digits glaring back at her she sighed. She pulled the covers back over her shoulders, snuggling down in the warm bed. The house still held a slight chill. Dale had gotten the window fixed the following day. She tried to write a check for it, but he wouldn’t let her pay for it, going as far as ripping the check up, then taking her check book when she tried to write another.

They had gotten along seemingly well aside for that slight disagreement. She had figured for discomfort, but after the morning hours of awkwardness, Dale fell right into their routine. She smiled remembering Ashlyn’s laughter and smiles as they played outside in the snow that had fallen the night before. Her heart clenched and she felt anger toward herself for not telling Dale about Ashlyn.

Throwing the blankets back she sighed. There was nothing she could do to change the past but make sure that Dale was able to get to know Ashlyn and spend time with her. She didn’t want to step in the way of their relationship. She shivered as she hopped across the floor to the bathroom, turning the shower on; letting the steam fill the room.

Once she was showered and changed into a pair of Christmas scrubs, she dried her hair before pulling it back into a pony tail. She applied eye liner and mascara before spraying a small amount of her Butterfly Flower perfume. When she was finished getting ready, she left her room, closing the door softly and quietly made her way down the stairs, so not to wake up Dale or Ashlyn.

Seeing a light on in the kitchen she frowned and cautiously walked to the room. Rounding the corner she stopped seeing Dale standing in front of the stove with his back to her; clad in a pair of dark blue and green plaid pajama pants that rested low on his hips and a white t-shirt that stretched across his shoulders. She licked her lips. She leaned against the door jam a smile on her lips as she watched him tear open a tea bag, sitting it in the insulated cup.

“I didn’t take you for a tea drinker,” Lindsay spoke up, walking into the kitchen.

“Jesus,” Dale jumped, knocking over the cup. “Don’t sneak up on me.”

“Sorry,” Lindsay apologized with a small smile. “Why are you up this early?”

“Make sure you get off okay,” Dale said as he grabbed the kettle off the stove as it started to whistle. He poured it into the insulated cup over the tea bag. “It snowed a lot last night and it’s still snowing.”

“Thanks,” Lindsay smiled. “I’ll be fine. My car does pretty good in the snow and it’s not that far of a drive.” She grabbed the tub of sugar, dropping spoonfuls into the tea.

Dale raised an eyebrow watching her, “Why don’t just dump the whole thing in there. Be a lot easier.”

Lindsay chuckled and used the spoon to stir her tea, “I like it sweet.”

“So you like your tea sweet,” Dale murmured, taking note. “Rotting teeth sweet.”

“Shut up,” Lindsay giggled, putting the lid on her drink. She sat it on the counter moving to grab her boots from next to the door, pulling them on her feet. She grabbed her keys from the counter before moving towards the door.

“Don’t forget your drink,” Dale said taking it off the counter.

“I’m not leaving yet; need to start my car and dig it out,” she smiled at him.

“I’ll do it,” Dale sat her drink down, moving to grab his shoes.

“You’re not dressed to go outside,” Lindsay said pointedly, nodding toward his attire. “Won’t take me that long, I have a lot of practice.” She slipped from the house before he could argue, shivering as the cold wind went through her scrub top and long sleeve shirt. Making her way to the car, she sighed, seeing Dale’s Tahoe parked behind her. Turning around she made her way back into the house. “You’re blocking me in. Can I have your keys to move it?”

“Just take mine to work,” Dale said getting up from the couch. He went to the counter where his keys were laying. “That way you don’t have to dig two cars out. And its four wheel drive so just back out.”

“Dale…” Lindsay started staring at the keys.

“Just take it and for once, don’t argue with me,” Dale sighed. “Thank you,” he said when she took the keys.

She smiled at him before going back outside to warm the Tahoe up. “That’s not well known is it? I’m not gonna get jumped because I’m in Dale Earnhardt Junior’s car am I?”

Dale chuckled, shaking his head. “No, you won’t. Besides, it’s Christmas; I doubt you’ll see anyone on the road.”

“True,” Lindsay nodded. “Momma’s coming over around ten or so to start cooking. I won’t be home until around three thirty, depending on the roads and when my relief shows up.”

“I promise there’ll be food left when you get home,” Dale grinned, turning to stare at the Christmas tree. He had turned it on when he got up, the lights casting shadows upon the wall. The presents placed underneath the tree, touching the bottom branches. He didn’t figure he’d ever get done bringing them in from his car. He had presents from his mother, his sister, his grandmother, Tony Junior, Rick Hendrick and many others. And that wasn’t including what he had bought.

“If you want to open presents with Ashlyn when she wakes up, you can go ahead,” Lindsay said softly watching Dale. He deserved to experience Christmas morning. “I just ask that you take pictures.”

Dale turned to face Lindsay and shook his head, “No, we can wait until you get home and do it all together.”

“Are you sure?” Lindsay asked. She didn’t want to miss a moment of Ashlyn opening her presents but she had to put herself in Dale’s shoes. He missed twelve years of this.

“I’m sure,” Dale smiled. He glanced at the clock and sighed, “You’d better get going. This way you can take your time.”

“Yeah,” Lindsay nodded. She turned around and grabbed her work keys, leaving her car keys on the counter in case Dale needed a vehicle. She reached for her ID badge, stuffing that and her keys into one of the pockets of her scrub top. Digging through her purse she grabbed the few dollars in cash and her chap stick. She grabbed the hot tea and took a sip, smiling as it had cooled down enough to drink.

“Here,” Dale said and he took her coat from the coat rack and held it open, allowing Lindsay to slide her arms through. Before he could stop himself he reached for the zipper, zipping the front of her coat up; his eyes following the movements before he found himself staring into her eyes. He stared at her unmoving, his heart rapidly beating in his chest. He could feel her light breath across his cheek – he was so close. His fingers twitched when he saw her gaze drop to his lips. He wanted to kiss her; to pull her into his arms and devour her lips.

Before he moved to kiss her, the image of her kissing Alex flickered in his mind and he stiffened. Stepping back he gave her a slight nod, “Drive safe.”

Lindsay quickly masked her hurt and nodded, “I will.” She opened her mouth, but closed it when she didn’t know what to say. It was obvious he didn’t want to kiss her. She should have known better than to let the idea in to her head. But the way he looked at her… She shivered and shook her head, turning to walk out into the snow and cold.

**

“You know how hard it is to stare at the tree and not be able to open anything?” Ashlyn complained as she walked into the kitchen where her grandmother was busy cooking dinner they were going to have when her mother got home. When she came downstairs earlier that morning, she had stared in shock at how many presents were under the tree. She had never seen it so stocked.

“Honey, I told you we were gonna wait for your mother to get home,” Dale said as he sat at the kitchen table mixing the dip for the vegetables. It was proving harder than he thought with his the splint on. He had to stir with his right hand. He chuckled at Ashlyn’s expression. “It’s only for a few more hours.”

“That’s gonna be forever,” Ashlyn sat down in one of the kitchen chairs, sighing heavily. She reached over, snagging one of the baby carrots from the vegetable tray and dodged her father’s hand to dunk it in the dip.

“Hey, I worked hard to cut those this morning,” Dale teased.

“Yeah, opening the bag was so hard,” Ashlyn laughed, rolling her eyes as she munched on the carrot.

“You try opening a bag one handed,” he told her.

“Did you make the deviled eggs, Gramma?”

“Did I make deviled eggs,” Grace exclaimed turning from the stove. “Did I make deviled eggs! Of course I did! Unless your father ate them all when I wasn’t looking, they are in the fridge.”

Ashlyn grinned and stood up from the chair, opening up the refrigerator door. Opening the container, she grabbed two and bumped the door shut with her hip. Sitting back at the table, she offered one to Dale with a wink.

Grace smiled seeing the interaction between father and daughter. After the incident the other night, Ashlyn had certainly taken to her father. She was never so happy to walk into the house that morning to laughter and giggles. Apparently, Ashlyn was trying to peek at her presents when Dale caught her. She showed up to Dale holding Ashlyn down, tickling her feet.

“Let’s go outside,” Ashlyn said when Dale finished mixing the dip. “If I stay in here, I’m gonna be tempted to open something.”

Dale chuckled and stood up. “Alright, go get changed,” he told her, eyeing her pajamas. “You don’t need any help do you?” He asked Grace, feeling bad for not helping.

“Oh no,” Grace smiled. “It’s mostly done now, just have to cook and keep stirring. Go out and play.”

“Thanks,” Dale kissed Grace’s cheek before leaving the kitchen to find a sweatshirt.

“Let’s build a snowman!” Ashlyn shouted as she ran out the front door and into the snow. She fell on her back and flapped her arms and legs, making a snow angel. She stared up at the sky and opened her mouth, catching snowflakes on her tongue.

“Watch for yellow ones,” Dale chuckled.

“Daddy,” Ashlyn groaned. “They don’t fall from the sky that way. Come on, make a snow angel!”

Unable to deny his daughter anything, Dale fell into the snow next to his her and made his snow angel. After he was sure it was good, he laid there grinning like an idiot. He didn’t know making snow angels could be so much fun. His grin broadened at the giggle and he knew she had a lot to do with his good mood.

“How about that snowman?” He asked as he carefully stood up, making sure he didn’t mess up the angel.

“Help me up,” Ashlyn sat up, reaching a hand out for Dale to take. “Don’t mess them up,” she told him. “Momma will make one when she gets home. Hopefully ours will still be there.”

“Can always make another one,” he said as he followed Ashlyn further into the yard, watching as she fell to her knees and started packing snow into a ball.

“Let’s make a huge one!” Ashlyn exclaimed as she rolled the beginning ball.

“The biggest one you’ll ever see,” Dale agreed and got down to making another ball. It took him awhile to get situated enough with his hand splinted, but he was able to figure it out. Once they had their balls made, he helped Ashlyn lift the second one, placing it on the base. While he starting rolling the final ball for the head, Ashlyn brushed off the extra snow, shaping up the first two balls.

“This is huge,” she grinned after Dale placed the head on. “By far the biggest we’ve ever had!”

“Heh, only the best,” he grinned and went in search of sticks and rocks. Handing them to Ashlyn, he watched as she placed them in the proper spots. “We need a nose and a hat.”

“Right here.”

Dale turned around at the third voice, grinning when he saw Grace standing there with a top hat and scarf, along with a long carrot. As he placed them on the snowman, he heard the shutter of the camera. He didn’t even realize that Grace had slipped outside and had taken pictures of them while they played in the snow.

“What do you think?” Dale asked standing back to admire their work. “Does he pass inspection?”

“Oh yeah,” Ashlyn grinned up at her father. “Gramma, take a picture of us with the snowman!” She pulled her father to stand next to the snowman, while she stood in front of him as Grace snapped the picture. “Is it time for Momma yet?”

“Not quite, Sweetie,” Grace smiled apologetically. “You still have about an hour, yet.”

“Oh, okay,” Ashlyn sighed, hoping it had been time for her mother to come home. “Let’s make a fort!” She grinned, devilishly.

“Oh no,” Grace shook her head. “I need to get back to cooking,” she hurried back into the house, knowing that a fort meant a snowball fight.

Dale grinned, “Alright, who are we attacking? Frosty?” He asked as they started piling the snow, packing it down. He was so glad that Mother Nature decided to dump all the snow on the ground over the past few days.

“Momma,” she grinned at Dale before she resumed building.

Dale laughed and shook his head but he continued building the fort. Once it was complete he looked around. “We’ll need an arsenal. Start making snowballs,” he started packing the snow into baseball sized balls, stock piling them.

“I’ll be back,” Ashlyn got up and ran into the house. “Gramma!” She shouted running into the kitchen.

“Ashlyn McKayla!” Grace scolded her granddaughter seeing all the snow she was dripping on the floor.

“You have to come outside with the camera and hide with us,” Ashlyn rushed. She looked at the clock seeing it was after three. They had to hurry; there was no telling when her mother would pull up. “We’re gonna attack Momma when she pulls in.”

“Alright,” Grace laughed and turned down the burners before putting on her coat again. “I’m gonna hide at the corner of the house so she won’t see me,” she said as they walked outside. She shook her head watching Ashlyn run back to the fort. She laughed seeing Dale wave at her from his prone position behind the fort. “Certainly know where Ashlyn gets it now.”

“There she is,” Ashlyn whispered seeing her mother coming up the road in Dale’s Tahoe. “Get ready.”

“Hold it,” Dale said, holding Ashlyn’s hand. “Wait until she closes the door first. I don’t need a foot of snow inside the car.” He peeked through the small peep hole waiting for Lindsay to crawl from the car. He saw her glance in their position and he couldn’t stop the grin that spread on his lips. “Ready…” he said softly to Ashlyn. “One… two…” when the car door shut, he sprang into action. “Three!”

“Hey!” Lindsay yelled feeling the snow ball hit her in the side. “What the…” she shrieked seeing Dale and Ashlyn jump up from behind the fort, throwing snowballs at her. She quickly took refuge on the other side of Dale’s Tahoe. “You’re gonna get it!” She yelled as she dropped to the ground quickly making her own snowballs.

She peeked around the front of the SUV, waiting to make her move, when she saw Ashlyn jump up she quickly throw the ball, nailing her daughter in the shoulder. She was laughing when one came back, hitting her in the face. “Hey!” She sputtered. Hearing the dark chuckle, she smirked grabbing a few snowballs in her hands. Counting in her head, she waited a few seconds before jumping up. With a loud war cry, she ran toward the fort launching her snowballs.

“Get her!” Ashlyn shouted as she jumped up tossing the remaining snowballs she had at her mother. When she was out, she yelped and started running as her mother chased her. “Daddy! Help!”

Dale grinned as he used the distraction to make a couple more snowballs. Gathering them up, he stalked toward his prey. Seeing that Lindsay had caught his daughter and they were rolling around on the ground made him rethink the sneak attack. But he couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

“Daddy, help!” Ashlyn squealed, laughing as she tried to get away from her mother.

“Don’t you dare…” Lindsay warned Dale when she saw the snowballs and the gleam in his eyes. She barely noticed Ashlyn scooting away as she crawled backward through the snow. “Dale…”

“What?” Dale asked innocently. He grinned as she covered her face when he raised his arm. He was getting ready to launch when a snowball hit him in the side of the face. “What the…” he looked in the direction it came from and saw the sparkle in his daughter’s eye. “Oh really…” he turned to face her, tossing the snowball in the air catching it with his hand.

“Uh-oh…” Ashlyn stared wide-eyed and backed up seeing Dale look at her.

“Run Ashlyn!” Lindsay yelled as she jumped up, tossing the snowball she had quickly made in Dale’s face. She shrieked as she made a run for it. She didn’t make it very far before she was tackled to the ground. Her struggles against Dale proved worthless as he overpowered her. “I’m sorry…” she gasped out of breath.

“Yeah right,” Dale smirked, looking down at her. “You’re just saying that so I’ll let you go.”

“Did it work?” Lindsay asked hopefully.

“Not a chance,” he said as he held her arms above her head with his good hand, while his lower body, pinned her to the ground. He gathered a handful of snow dropping it over Lindsay’s face, laughing as she shook her head from side to side.

“Dale!” Lindsay yelled trying to shake the cold snow off her face. She wiggled her body, trying to push him off of her, but he wouldn’t budge. She gulped when she caught his eye, seeing them darken with desire as her struggles made her body rub against his. “Dale…please…” She didn’t know what she was begging for; either for him to move or kiss her. After what happened this morning, she tried not to let herself believe he’d kiss her.

“Lindsay…” Dale whispered softly as he slowly lowered his head. He shut out the voices screaming at him to stop; to remember the picture. He brushed his lips across hers before claiming them in a gentle kiss. His eyes fluttered closed feeling the warmness of her lips; his heart thumping widely in his chest. His tongue traced along her bottom lip faintly. When her mouth opened slowly, his tongue explored its depths familiarizing himself again.

“I don’t think we need the mistletoe, Gramma,” Ashlyn said as she stood beside her grandmother, watching her parents kissing in the snow.

“You never know, Ash,” Grace winked at her granddaughter as she hit the stop button on the video camera. She was glad she had thought to grab it and caught the entire snowball fight on video. It would be a great thing to watch later. ‘What a great Christmas.’


	49. Chapter 49

Chapter Forty Nine

He kissed her.

Lindsay sat on the edge of her bed, staring into the mirror on her vanity. Her lips still tingled and she pressed her fingers against them. Her pulse was racing wildly and she fought to compose herself. After what had happened that morning, she never expected to get that close to him. She wasn’t sure what the kiss meant, and judging from Dale’s reaction afterward, he didn’t know either.

When the kiss ended, her eyes fluttered open, looking up into Dale’s. He didn’t say anything; but rolled off her and helped her up. They walked to the house in silence and split up going to their separate rooms.

Knowing that she couldn’t hide in her room forever trying to decipher a kiss that may or may not mean anything, she pushed herself up from the bed where she stripped her scrubs off. She was soaked through and through. The thin material of the scrubs offered little protection from rolling in the snow. She couldn’t help the smile that grew on her face.

‘He kissed me,’ she thought with a giggle. She felt twelve years old again getting kissed by her crush in the school bus line. She wanted to call Christy and tell her about it. They would shriek and scream like they were in junior high. 

Pulling a pair of jeans from the hanger, she slid them over her hips. Browsing through her closet she finally settled on a v-neck, green cable knit sweater. Heading into her bathroom, she freshened up; brushing her hair out, reapplying her eyeliner, and spraying her perfume again. Knowing she had wasted enough time she took a deep breath and made her way downstairs.

“Momma,” Ashlyn grinned when her mother walked into the living room. “Can you believe all the presents that Daddy brought?”

“Santa brought them,” Dale winked at his daughter. He watched Lindsay sit down on the couch. The feel of her body pressed against his still fresh in his mind. Telluride flashed through his mind. The feel of her body against his as they lie tangled in the sheets. He wondered what it would feel like today. There was no doubt about it the kiss left him wanting more.

“I haven’t believed in Santa six years,” Ashlyn rolled her eyes. “Ever since I caught Momma putting presents under the tree.”

“It was a sad year,” Lindsay smiled at her daughter. “I had to sit her down and explain. I think I was more heartbroken than she was.” She moved from the couch to in front of the tree where she started passing out the wrapped gifts.

“Can we start?” Ashlyn asked excitedly, bouncing from her spot in the middle of the floor, a shiny red, with white snowflake wrapped gift sat on her lap.

Lindsay grabbed her camera from the coffee table. She made sure her mother had the video camera ready. She finally looked at Dale, seeing him staring at her. She blushed and looked away, “Yes, you may…” she shook her head as Ashlyn tore into the gift before she even finished her sentence. “Begin.”

Ashlyn ripped the paper off the box with enthusiasm, tossing it forgotten on the floor. “An iPod!” she squealed. “Oh thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” she jumped up and wrapped her arms Dale.

“You’re welcome,” Dale laughed, ignoring the pain in his hand when Ashlyn jostled it. Playing in the snow had certainly brought more pain but it had been well worth it. He returned her hug before she went back to her spot to open more presents.

Lindsay smiled and laughed as she watched Ashlyn open her presents. She tried not to let it get to her that the presents she bought were no where near as extravagant as Dale’s. She couldn’t match an iPod or a new computer. She told herself that all that mattered was the smile on her daughter’s face. And it was all the mattered. Not who bought what, who spent how much or even the feelings she had for Dale or what his where for her. The only thing that mattered was Ashlyn’s happiness.

“I’ll have a new wardrobe for school,” Ashlyn said as she opened up another gift card to Aeropastle. “We’re gonna have to go to the mall,” she grinned looking at her mother.

“After the holidays Sweetie,” Lindsay reached for the neatly wrapped flat box. She fingered the corners gently taking a breath before passing it to Dale.

“You didn’t have to get me anything,” Dale said as he looked down at the gift. He tore through the paper revealing a plain white box. He lifted the top and saw a grey piece of paper nestled on cotton. Furrowing his brows he picked the paper up in his hand, reading it. The script bold letters at the top caught his gaze. ‘Birth Certificate’. He looked up at Lindsay, giving her a confused look.

“Read it,” she whispered softly.

Dale looked back down at the paper reading further. ‘Ashlyn Makayla Pierce. August 25, 1995. 5:02pm’ He scrolled down the information listing the hospital and the location. ‘Mother: Lindsay Marie Pierce. Father: Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr. North Carolina.’ His eyes shot to Lindsay’s. He glanced back down at the birth certificate rereading the father line. “You said…”

“I know,” Lindsay stated softly. “Her birth certificate never had a father listed on it… until now.”

“But how…”

“I got the necessary paperwork and filled out the information that I had to; then I sent it to Kelley. She filled out what I didn’t know and had you sign it.”

“I don’t remember…” Dale choked. “I would have noticed I was signing the paper for this.”

Lindsay grinned, “Obviously not. I told Kelley what I wanted to do and she said it was no problem… she’d be able to get you to sign the papers without knowing. Does it all the time she said.”

“Really?” Dale smirked, tucking the information away. He wondered what other papers he had signed that Kelley had suckered him into. ‘Father,’ he thought staring down at the paper. It was official now. He stood up from the couch sitting Ashlyn’s birth certificate back in the box. He walked to Lindsay, pulling her up. “Thank you,” he whispered, wrapping her arms around her. “That is the best gift I’ve ever got.”

Lindsay closed her eyes as she held him tight. “It should have been on there all along,” she whispered. She gave a sigh of content when his arms tightened and he rubbed her back. ‘Kiss me,’ she thought and had to quickly mask the disappointed look in her face when he let go and moved to the tree to pick his presents to Lindsay and Grace.

Lindsay shook her head at the small stack and grabbed the final wrapped present, handing it to Dale. “I didn’t know what to get you; so it’s a sentimental thing,” she watched him tear open the paper. She held her breath as he pulled the book from the box, trying to gauge his reaction. She was pretty proud of herself for how it turned out. She wasn’t an artist by any means. “I always thought I’d make two baby books, but I thought making a scrapbook would be so much better. There was more room for pictures and my own ideas. I wrote stories in there about things Ashlyn did or was doing. Most of the pictures are doubles that you already have…”

Dale slowly flipped through the pages of the scrapbook. To say it was beautiful wasn’t giving Lindsay enough credit. Each page matched a theme and the colors blended well. The pictures were cut in designs and the writing was loopy and neat. It had to have taken a long time. “Lindsay…” he shook his head, unable to come up with anything. “This is… wow…”

“She did a good job on it, didn’t she?” Ashlyn smiled, taking a seat next to her father, looking at the scrapbook with him. “Blood, sweat and tears are all over that. There wasn’t a night she didn’t have a paper cut.”

“There’s a lot of empty pages still in the back,” Lindsay commented. “I have it up to the dance, so you’ll be able to add more to it. Kelley and your mom e-mailed me pictures and such from Thanksgiving.”

“This one of the reasons you took so many pictures before the dance?” Dale asked as he saw the pictures before they left for the dance. He smiled seeing photographs at the dance as well and wondered how she got them.

“How’d you get those?” Ashlyn asked as she learned over Dale’s shoulder looking at pictures from the dance. She saw the photo of them walking in together and drinking punch. She smiled seeing the picture of them dancing. “You look happy,” she pointed out. “Must have been before I stepped on your feet.”

“Must have been,” Dale chuckled. “Thank you, Lindsay…” he said closing the book. He couldn’t wait to sit down and browse through it. He couldn’t wait to show his mother; she would certainly cry. He’d probably even tear up.

“You’re welcome,” she smiled at him looking down at the wrapped gifts in front of her. “This is too much, Dale. You really didn’t have to get me anything.”

“I know,” Dale smiled. “But I wanted too. And Momma and Kelley sent gifts too.”

“Oh I didn’t get them anything,” Lindsay fretted.

“Don’t worry about it,” Dale shook his head. “Open ‘em.”

Lindsay left the smaller boxes and went for the medium sized box. She felt a giddy smile cross her lips as she tore into the paper. Ripping the top of the plain white box off, she moved the tissue paper and busted out laughing. “I’m gonna kill your sister,” she said as she removed the Dale Jr. scrub set from the box. She couldn’t help but laugh at the silliness of the gift.

Dale grinned, “I think you should wear ‘em to work tomorrow.”

“I don’t know about that,” Lindsay chuckled. She went to fold them back up when she felt something in the scrub pocket. Fishing it out, she opened the card. Smiling as she read it to herself, she gripped the envelope that came with the card. Her smile grew into a gasp as she looked at the gift card.

“What is it, Momma?” Ashlyn asked. “What did she get?”

“I have no idea,” Dale said. “She had everything all wrapped when she gave it to me.”

“It’s a gift certificate to a full day spa,” Lindsay stared at the paper in wonder. She couldn’t believe it. She’d never been to a spa before. “Wow…” she breathed, not waiting to be able to have someone give her a message and sit in a whirl pool tub.

Grace held up her own certificate and smiled at Lindsay, “Looks like we’re going together.” She smiled seeing the same spa certificate that her daughter had in her pile of gifts. She couldn’t wait to get a pedicure and manicure; maybe get a new hair cut. “I’ll have to call Kelley and thank her. This is too much.”

Lindsay opened the rest of her presents, revealing a Victoria Secret’s gift card. Seeing the amount written on the card, her eyes widened and she stared at Dale. “Dale – I can’t accept this!”

“Why? Not enough?” He smirked.

“N..no… it’s too much!” She looked down at the gift card in her hand. She never shopped in that store; everything was too expensive. But then she didn’t have anyone to wear the sexy lingerie for. 

“Keep it. I’m not taking it back.” He smiled watching her put the card down with the rest of his gifts and grab the final small box. He couldn’t wait to see her face.

Lindsay ripped open the paper revealing a small brown box. She ran her finger over the gold engraving, ‘Tiffany and Co’. Her hand gave a small shake before she lifted the lid off the box. She gave a small gasp as the diamond earrings sparkled back at her. “Dale…”

“You told me in Telluride,” Dale began when he saw her questioning look. “That one of the things you wanted was a pair of diamond earrings that would sparkle in the light.”

“Oh…” Lindsay felt the tears prickling in her eyes as she stared at Dale, remembering the conversation. “You remembered…” 

This time Lindsay pushed herself to her feet and walked to Dale, as Grace started picking up the discarded wrapping paper. When she reached him, he was already on his feet. She sagged against him when he wrapped his arms around her, letting her tears fall. She couldn’t believe he had remembered any of their conversations let alone a conversation about her dreams.

**

Lindsay sat outside on the swing after the dishes were done and her mother had left for the night. Ashlyn had pulled Dale upstairs to hook up her new computer and show her how to download songs on her iPod. She wiped away a stray tear that trickled down her cheek. Today had gone even better than she had ever dreamed of. 

Ashlyn was beyond happy and had warmed up to Dale with no qualms. She talked his ear off during dinner about anything that had come to mind. She had told him stories about school and her friends. She had to chuckle when Ashlyn mentioned Bryce and she saw Dale stiffen up. After the dance, Bryce had broken up with Brittany for good and had started talking to Ashlyn.

Hearing the door open, Lindsay looked seeing Dale walking out, carrying two coffee cups in his hands. Taking the offered cup, she smiled seeing hot chocolate with ten marshmallows floating on top. She quirked an eyebrow at him as she scooted across the wooden swing, giving him room to sit down.

“It’s still ten right?” Dale asked as he took a seat on the swing, moving the blanket over his lap. He shivered a little against the cold and took a sip of the warm liquid.

“Yeah,” she smiled taking a sip. She leaned against the back, wrapping her hands around the warm mug as they slowly rocked the swing. She looked to the row of houses lining the streets, watching their Christmas decorations. It was sad to see the day coming to an end. It was always over too fast. Christmas had fallen on her original day off, so she not only worked today and tomorrow, but the weekend as well. “Thank you Dale, for the gifts. Even though I think you spent too much on them.”

“I don’t think so,” Dale said as he sat his mug down on the ground. When he came back up, he wrapped his arm around Lindsay’s shoulder. “And I’m gonna have a talk with Kelley about tricking me to get my signature on shit.”

Lindsay chuckled, taking a sip. She leaned into Dale. “I didn’t mean to get her in trouble. I should probably call and warn her.”

“Nah,” Dale shook his head. “I’ll go in there yelling at her, but I’ll leave with my tail between my legs. She’s tough.”

Falling into silence, Lindsay finished off her drink. Placing it on the ground, she pulled the blanket up around her shoulders. “What the hell am I doing outside?”

“I was wondering the same thing,” Dale pulled the blanket tighter around him, sliding in the small space the separated them. He smiled as she snuggled up to him and he rested his head atop hers.

“So what did you do to your hand?” She asked as she found his hand resting on his thigh. She traced the splint with her fingers before running them over his fingers.

“I punched a tree,” he said carefully. He didn’t want to get into any details. The day had been too perfect to ruin now. “I was angry.”

“That was stupid,” she said pointedly. “You’re lucky you didn’t break it. Does it hurt?”

“A little, I’ll talk some Advil before I go to bed.”

“When are you heading back?” Lindsay asked softly. She felt a small lump rise in her throat thinking of him leaving. She had gotten so used to him being around.

“I’m not sure yet; I don’t have anything going on,” he started slowly. “That all depends on you and Ashlyn.”

Lindsay raised her head to look at him; staring into his blue eyes. “We’d love to have you,” she whispered; her breath catching as Dale leaned forward kissing her. She wrapped her arms around his neck; feeling his arms holding her closer to him. The blanket pooled forgotten on their laps. She trailed one of her hands around his neck; the stubbly coarse hair was one of the differences. In Telluride, he had been clean shaven. She wondered how his scruffy beard would feel brushing over her body.

Dale brushed his knuckles along her check before moving his fingertips through her blonde hair wishing he could bury his hands in it. The splint gave him a disadvantage. Feeling her tongue probing, he opened his mouth inviting her in; where his tongue met hers, matching stroke for stroke. His hand fell down to her knee; where he started inching his way up her thigh.

He brought his hand back up cupping her cheek the best that he could. He ended the kiss slowly, brushing her lips a couple times with his before resting his forehead on hers; trying to catch his breath. His eyes remained closed as he tried to collect his thoughts and get his emotions under control. It didn’t matter how long they’d been apart; one kiss had stirred up all the old feelings he had for her. They were running rampant through his body. He wanted her. He wanted to make her his.

“I should go to bed,” Lindsay whispered. It was on the tip of her tongue to invite him as well, but there was no way she could do it. She didn’t want any questions about it afterward. It had to be the right thing for both of them. She didn’t want to fall into bed with him to solve a rush of desire and old memories. Her body pleaded with her; the need rising. She wanted him.

“Okay,” he opened his eyes, staring into hers. Unable to stop himself, he leaned in giving her a final long kiss. When they parted he stood up and pulled her to her feet, grabbing the empty coffee mugs and helped her in the house.


	50. Chapter 50

Chapter Fifty

“Are you kidding me!”

Lindsay looked up from the open chart binder in front of her when she heard the shout. She gave an eye roll and shook her head seeing Christy standing on the other side of the counter, her hands on her hips. She went back to filling out the chart while her friend came into the nurse’s station.

“Do you know you’re the talk of the building,” Christy informed her friend as she sat down in a chair next to her.

“And why is that?”

“And why is that,” Christy scoffed. “You show up here in your Dale Jr. scrubs with a smile on your face… I take it Christmas went very good?” She raised her eyebrows, digging a candy bar from her pocket. “Spill…”

“It went good,” Lindsay stated sitting her pen down, knowing she wasn’t going to be able to get work done until Christy was satisfied with the information. “We kissed…”

“What!” Christy squealed. “Oh what was it like? Wow… Dale Earnhardt Junior!”

“It’s not like I haven’t kissed him before,” Lindsay shrugged.

“Lindsay! You better tell me all the details! That’s not just any man; he’s a famous race car driver. His face is on the Coke machine outside the ole Grocery Bag… granted; he looks manlier now… but still!”

Lindsay giggled, “Trust me, he feels manlier too!”

Christy gasped, “You didn’t!”

“No, we didn’t…but I wanted to,” Lindsay said longingly. 

“Was it a mistletoe kiss?” Christy asked, smiling at her friend. She could see Lindsay’s feelings for Dale written across her face.

“No,” Lindsay shook her head. She quickly told Christy about the snowball fight and went through the presents.

“Victoria Secret?” Christy raised her eyebrows. “Wow! You know he’s thinking about you in sexy underwear. He wants you too.” She listened as Lindsay finished the rest of the night, her smile widening. “Like it stepped out of a romantic movie…” Christy sighed leaning against the back of her chair. “I wish my husband would do something like that. You better be using that gift card and be planning on taking a weekend trip to NC.”

“I just want it to be special. I don’t want to have sex because we want to relive our past. I want it to be because he loves me and wants a relationship with me now.”

“Oh sweetie, he loves you,” Christy smiled. “He’s here spending time with both you and Ashlyn when he very well could have just asked to take Ashlyn to North Carolina. The gifts he bought you…he remembered the diamonds, the ten marshmallows. What guy would remember things from over a decade ago but one in love? I can’t get Matt to remember to take the garbage out let alone something I told him when we first dated.”

“I’m scared,” Lindsay admitted. “He’s not the same guy he was when we were together. He has women all over the country and probably the largest black book to boot. I don’t know if I can deal with women throwing themselves at him everywhere he goes. What if he gets tired of me? Decides that he’s done reliving his past and ends it?”

“Lindsay…” She could see where Lindsay was coming from and if the roles were reversed, she’d probably have the same worries. “All love is like that. It’s scary. But you can’t let this pass you by. Honey, you love him. If you didn’t you wouldn’t be this scared of it not working out.”

“I do love him,” she said softly.

“Then go after him,” Christy told her firmly. “You’re getting another chance. If Dale wanted to relive his past, he’d jump on a flight to Telluride and snag a snow bunny. But he’s here, with you. It was you he was kissing last night on the porch swing. No one told him to, no one dared him. There was no holiday tradition involved. He kissed you to show you how he feels; to tell you he’s interested.”

“What about Alex?”

“I never thought your relationship with Alex would last,” Christy said truthfully. “I knew there was something holding you back. It was Dale… you couldn’t let yourself totally be with Alex because your heart had already belonged to Dale.”

Lindsay mulled over Christy’s words. It was true… there was always something missing from her relationship with Alex. She had spent a long time with him, but yet they were never married. She never thought about it at the time just assumed she wasn’t ready. But know she knew it was Dale. She could never marry Alex. She loved him, she wouldn’t dispute that fact, but Dale held her heart.

“This is your chance, Linds,” Christy continued. “But you have a real dilemma.”

Lindsay looked up at Christy’s words. “What are you talking about?”

“Both Dale and Alex have expressed interest in wanting a relationship with you,” she held her hand to cut Lindsay off. “Dale’s was more body language. You’re gonna have to pick one. And judging by our talk, you already know your decision.”

“I don’t want to hurt anyone…”

“I know sweetie, but you can’t have both.”

**

Standing in the hallway passing out medication, Lindsay sighed wishing the day was over. She wanted to go home and soak in a hot bath. Her mind was distracted as she handed the medicine cup over to one of her residents along with a small Dixie cup of juice. She wanted to be at home with Dale and Ashlyn.

Once the man took his pills he wandered down the hall as Lindsay marked the chart. When she heard shouting she looked up, seeing he had grabbed Courtney by the arm. Locking up the medicine cart, she shoved her keys in her pocket as she rushed down the hallway.

“Mr. Griffin,” she saw the man had an agitated look and sought to resolve the conflict. “Let her go; we’ll take you back to your room. Get you settled down.”

“I don’t want to go back to my room,” Mr. Griffin shouted. “I want my meds! Where are my meds?”

“I gave them to you,” Lindsay said calmly. “You swallowed them with apple juice.”

“No!” Mr. Griffin shook his head. “She stole them!” He tightened his grip on Courtney’s arm, holding her against the wall. “I saw her!”

“Courtney wouldn’t steal from you. She’s the one that gets you the extra desert at lunch time. She leaves you the Hershey® bar for snack time. She takes care of you.”

“Liar!” Mr. Griffin reared, letting go of Courtney and backhanded Lindsay across the face knocking her to the ground. She shook her head as she sat up, wiping the back of her mouth with her hand, seeing the blood.

“Code blue B wing, Code blue B wing.” Melissa’s voice rang over the speaker as she called for help.

When other staff members rushed onto the wing for help, they were able to calm Mr. Griffin down and settle him back in his room. Lindsay stood with Christy in an empty room, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her lip was split and had already started to swell. “Good thing all the holiday photos are over,” she joked as she washed her face.

“I don’t know why he’s on your hall; his behavior is too erratic. He should be on the behavior hall,” Christy ranted.

“It’s alright, Chris. I’ve been hit harder,” she said. “Remember little Lillian? She could pack a wallop.”

“Lindsay?”

Lindsay glanced at the door, seeing Courtney in the doorway. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, just a little bruising. Uhm, there is someone here to see you.”

Lindsay wondered who had come to see her. She dried her hands before the three ladies left the room. Walking down the hallway, her heart beat picked up when she saw Dale leaning on the nurses’ station talking with Melissa. She saw Melissa reach out and touch Dale’s arm and her smile quickly faded into a scowl.

“Oh you have it bad,” Christy chuckled seeing the look on her face. “Give him hell and make sure he knows not to put his dick near that.”

“Get out of here,” Lindsay shoved her friend away. At the sound of her voice, she saw Dale turn to look at her and her heart flip flopped. He straightened and walked toward her, a smile on his face as he stared at her. She noticed his smile falter when he saw her injury.

“What happened?” Dale asked angrily. He tipped her chin up so he could get a better look at her mouth. He clenched his jaw at her wince when he lightly pressed his fingertips to her lip, feeling the puffiness. “Jesus…”

“It’s nothing,” Lindsay breathed as she watched his face intently; seeing the concern and worry. “Barely hurts…”

Dale gave her an incredulous look. “You’re a horrible liar. Who did this? What happened?”

“Just a minor crisis with one of my guys,” Lindsay told him. She looked behind him, seeing Melissa eyeing Dale. Grabbing his hand she pulled him down the hallway toward the door leading to the courtyard. Pushing it open she shivered but it was the only place where prying ears wouldn’t overhear.

“One of your guys?” Dale repeated slowly.

“My residents,” Lindsay chuckled. “No need to be jealous. Though you do look cute,” she winked. “He didn’t have a very good afternoon and grabbed one of my nursing assistants. I got him to let her go, but he swung at me.”

“Jesus,” Dale breathed looking at her face. He put a finger under her chin, using it to tilt her head so he could get a better look. “I didn’t know this job was dangerous.”

“It’s usually not, but it has its bad days. Mostly around full moons. Any it’s usually not the men I have to worry about. You wouldn’t think little old ladies could have any power behind a punch,” She gave a shiver at the cool wind blowing across the grounds.

“Shit, here…” Dale took off his jacket wrapping it around Lindsay’s shoulders, rubbing them firmly once the coat was in place, trying to warm her up.

“We better not be seen in public though,” Lindsay said after a few minutes.

“Why is that?” Dale questioned.

“People will think you hit me,” she laughed at the wide-eyed look on Dale’s face. “Your hand is injured, my face is injured…”

“I would never…” Dale spit out quickly.

“I know,” Lindsay said hurriedly. “So, what are you doing here?” She asked, changing the subject.

Dale sighed and told her about the phone call he received earlier. “The DA that’s handling Ashlyn’s case called me. The court date is next week and they need to talk with you and Ashlyn and go over your testimony.”

“What?” Lindsay breathed. She had to get up in front of a court and speak about how she trusted Devon and how he betrayed her? “I have to testify?” She gulped.

“Yes, they need you to talk about your relationship with Devon, the box where he found out about me. The phone calls you received and such,” he glanced at her frowning. “What’s wrong? I thought you’d be ready to testify and finally put him away for a long time after what he did to all of us.”

Lindsay met Dale’s gaze and opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn’t form any coherent words. She should be ready to put that bastard away for what he did to Ashlyn – what he did to her. She didn’t want to see him. The minute she took a step forward, Dale had his arms wrapped around her bringing her against him. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled against his chest.

“No, it’s okay,” Dale held her in his arms, resting his cheek against her head. “It’s alright to be scared, Linds,” he murmured, rubbing her back. “I am too, but the sooner we do this, the sooner we won’t have to worry about him anymore. He’ll be out of our lives.”

Lindsay took a deep breath and pushed away from Dale, instantly missing the warmth. “Alright…” she said slowly. “When do they want to see me?”

“Monday,”” Dale said. “Court is Tuesday. We’ll meet with the ADA in charge of the case on Monday. She’ll go over the testimony and such.”

“You’re coming too?” Lindsay asked surprised. Her shoulders slumped with relief when Dale nodded. She felt better knowing that he would be there with her. If he wasn’t, she was going to ask him to be there with her. “Does Ashlyn know?”

Dale shook his head, “Not yet. I figured we could talk to her together.”

“We’ll do it when I get home,” she glanced at her watch and sighed. She still had charts to finish and the altercation to document. “I need to get back to the floor. Still have charts to do and find the building charge and see about getting Tuesday off. I already have Monday off.”

“Do you think you can get Wednesday and Thursday off?” Dale asked as they walked back inside. He walked closer to her now that he knew her fat lip came from one of the men she was supposed to care for.

“I don’t know Dale,” Lindsay said as they stopped at the counter at the nurses’ station. “I’m already asking for Tuesday, I don’t think I can get Wednesday and Thursday as well. And Thursday is New Years; I doubt I can get someone to work for me. Why?”

“I want you and Ashlyn to come to North Carolina for New Years,” Dale told her. “I’m having a party at Whiskey River Wednesday night; I’d like for you to come. Ashlyn can stay with Kelley or Mom. I can fly you back to work Friday and then you can come back for your weekend off. I want to show you around Mooresville. What do you say?”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Lindsay smiled. “No promises, I might have to work Wednesday and leave after work. And will probably have to sell my soul to get New Years Day off…”

“Great!” Dale grinned; he couldn’t wait to get her to Mooresville – to his home. “I’ll see you later at home then.”

“Okay,” Lindsay was taken back when he leaned forward giving her a quick peck on the lips. He gave her a wink before turning to walk away. She stared after him in shock, her lips burning from the short contact. A smile graced her lips as she turned to go search for the building charge about requesting the days off still wearing his coat.


	51. Chapter 51

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have very little knowledge of trials. Liberties were taken.

Chapter Fifty One

Lindsay yawned as she slung her bag over her shoulder and turned off the bedroom light, making her way down the steps. The kitchen light was already on and she saw Dale sitting at the table. His arms were crossed on the table and his head was resting on them. A small smile touched her lips and she quietly sat her bag on the floor. Glancing at the stove she saw he had already filled the tea kettle and turned the burner on. The clock above the sink told her the early hour. She doubted Dale ever saw this time before other than not having been to bed the night before.

She listened to the silence of the house and shook her head. She wasn’t surprised not to hear the shuffling of feet above her. Ashlyn never was one to get up early.

“Dale,” she called softly, placing her hand on his shoulder. “Wake up.”

“It’s too early,” Dale muttered as he slowly sat up. He saw Lindsay’s smiling face and groaned. “How can you be so chipper this damn early?”

“It helps that I had a hot shower to wake me up,” Lindsay said as the tea kettle started whistling. “Why don’t you go and take one as well. And when you go upstairs, wake your daughter up. She went back to sleep.”

Dale pushed up from the chair. He raised his arms above his head stretching, while he yawned. He smirked seeing Lindsay give him a once over. Stretching a minute longer for show he sent her a wink before walking from the kitchen to take his shower.

**

Dale glanced in the rearview mirror seeing Ashlyn curled up across the backseat sleeping. Her head resting on Grace’s lap He chuckled to himself as he remembered the haggard look his daughter carried to the car. A hot shower did nothing to brighten her spirits. Almost immediately as he pulled from the driveway, she had fallen asleep. He wasn’t surprised that Lindsay hadn’t fallen asleep when the car started rolling.

Lindsay had sat in the passenger seat staring out the window. Her face was drawn with uncertainty and nervousness. He reached across the consol and grasped her hand, giving it a squeeze. He glanced at her and when she caught his gaze he gave her a small smile. He felt her hold tightened and he brushed his thumb over the back of her hand.

He broke the hold to turn the radio up, before settling back in the driver’s seat. His hand sought hers again. He smiled hearing her soft whispers, singing along with the radio. ‘I don’t care if I lost everything that I have known. It don’t matter where I lay my head tonight. Your arms feel like home, feel like home.’

“Are you okay?” He asked quietly. The silence in the vehicle was making him nervous. He figured Ashlyn would fall asleep, but counted on Lindsay and Grace to make conversation.

“I’m fine,” Lindsay replied looking at him. “I’m just thinking about today and what ADA Mackey told me to say.”

“You’ll be fine. You’ll do fine,” Dale said reassuringly. 

“I’m not worried about her questioning, it’s his…” Lindsay admitted. “I don’t know what he’s going to say. I know he’s gonna try and turn something around on me. Use you against me somehow.”

“He can’t use me against you. Don’t let whatever Devon’s lawyer says get you riled. Just answer his questions as short as you can. There is nothing he can say about you and me that will sway the jury.”

“Dale’s right, baby,” Grace spoke up after hearing their conversation. “He’ll try, but it won’t work. The jury is not going to care about your decisions to tell Dale or not. They are going to care about what that man did to you and Ashlyn.”

**

“Oh wow…” Lindsay murmured as they drove by the courthouse to the parking lot. Members of the media lined the steps all poised to interview Dale.

“Shit,” Dale mumbled as he parked the Tahoe. “I’m sorry guys,” he apologized to the women. “There is no way we’re getting through that.”

“We can run,” Ashlyn offered. She swiped her palms on her black skirt; her stomach flip-flopping with nerves. 

“That won’t work, Sweetie,” Dale answered. He turned off his SUV, pulling the keys from the ignition. “Alright, here is what we’re gonna do. You guys are gonna walk as fast as you can into the courthouse. I’ll stay behind and answer questions. With me doing that, they won’t go after you.”

They climbed from the vehicle and walked to the courthouse. It didn’t take long for them to be spotted and reporters rushed to them tossing out questions and throwing microphones in their faces.

“Keep walking to the court room,” Dale whispered. “I’ll meet you there,” he squeezed Lindsay’s hand and watched them walk away before turning to face the reporters.

**

Lindsay paced outside the court room. Her nerves were frazzled. She wanted to run to the nearest bathroom and puke. The little breakfast she had was not settling. In a few short hours she would have to get up on the stand and tell every one that she had let Devon in to her house. She had given him the opportunity to kidnap her daughter.

Wringing her hands she glanced down the hallway, but Dale had yet to come in from outside. She wondered if he’d ever get away from the questions the reporters were throwing at him. She was thankful that they didn’t follow her inside. She wouldn’t be able to talk to them. Dale was better equipped to deal with them than she was.

“Lindsay,” Alex walked up to the small family smiling. He pulled Lindsay into a hug. He frowned at the scent surrounding her. It was not the Curious© perfume that he was used to her wearing. This was more flowery. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m okay,” Lindsay pulled out from Alex’s arms, not wanting to send him signals. “Just nervous. I really don’t want to do this. I don’t want to sit on the stand and talk about what happened. I’m afraid of what his lawyer is going to ask me.”

“Did you talk with the ADA?” Alex asked softly. “I’m sure they don’t need your testimony. They’ll have plenty of evidence.”

“No,” Lindsay shook her head. “I have to get up there. He kidnapped my daughter and put my life through hell. I want to be a part of sending him to jail.”

“Why don’t you sit out here until it’s time for you to testify? Then you won’t have to look at Devon. A court officer will come and grab you when it’s time.”

“It’s just butterflies, Alex. I’ve had them before,” she told him, looking over his shoulder still unable to find Dale. She looked at her watch seeing that court was about to begin. 

“I’ve had them before too,” Alex smiled softly, taking her hand in his. He gave it a little squeeze. “Did you think on what I asked you the other week? About going on vacation? I’ve been looking online, getting some ideas. I thought about going to Colorado. It will be just after the season, so it shouldn’t be too crowded.”

Lindsay opened her mouth to reply when a court officer announced that court would begin in fifteen minutes. A smile broke out on her face when she saw Dale walking toward them. She saw the scowl on his face and frowned. She wondered what the reporters had said to put him in a bad mood. When she saw him glaring toward Alex, she realized her hand was still tucked in his. Dropping it immediately she walked to meet Dale. 

“How’d it go?” She asked searching his face. She barely noticed the photographers stopping to snap pictures of them. “You look a little rough around the edges.”

“Fine,” Dale said gruffly, his eyes moving past Lindsay to glare at Alex. His heart had fallen to a pit of his stomach when he had seen Alex holding Lindsay’s hand. The smile on the officer’s face made his jaw clench with anger. He wanted to know what he was sweet talking Lindsay with.

“What did they ask?” Lindsay pressured, trying to bring Dale’s attention back to her.

“Just my thoughts before the court and what I wanted to see happen. How Ashlyn was. What I did to my hand.”

“Did they get the truth?” Lindsay raised an eyebrow questioningly. It was nagging her to find out the real reason behind Dale’s injury; what had made him so angry he had to punch a tree.

“They think it was a go-kart wreck,” Dale said. He noticed people starting to walk into the courtroom to find their seats and ushered Lindsay forward. “Let’s go in and sit down,” he placed his hand at the small of Lindsay’s back as he guided her into the courtroom behind Grace and Ashlyn. He herded them to the pew behind the prosecution table, where he walked in first followed by Ashlyn and then Lindsay. To his chagrin, Alex moved in front of Grace to sit next to Lindsay. When Dale sat down, he rested his arm over the back of the bench, his fingers caressing Lindsay’s shoulder through her shirt.

Knowing they wouldn’t be able to speak much during the trial, he motioned Ashlyn to lean forward. When she did, he tapped Lindsay on the shoulder and tilted toward her. “I have complete faith in you. You’ll do fine on the stand. If you start having trouble, look out here to me. I’ll help you.”

“All rise,” the bailiff announced. “Honorable Judge White residing…”

**

“Has the jury reached a verdict?” Judge White asked after the jury piled back into the jury box after deliberation.

“We have Your Honor,” the foreman juror replied. He passed the folded slip of paper to the bailiff who handed it to the judge.

“Will the defendant please rise,” Judge White asked before turning to look at the juror. “How do you find the defendant, Devon A. McAllister?” He asked after the verdict slip was passed back to the juror.

“We find the defendant, Devon A. McAllister,” the juror paused. “Guilty.”

Lindsay sagged with relief and felt the tears pool in her eyes. She grabbed Ashlyn in her arms and hugged her daughter as they both started to cry. Feeling strong arms wrapped around her and Ashlyn, she untangled an arm from Ashlyn allowing Dale into their circle. 

“This is great,” Grace cried as she hugged Alex. “This is such a relief. We can finally put this behind us.”

“Yes,” Alex agreed as he turned around, waiting to hug Lindsay. He watched as Lindsay and Ashlyn clung to Dale. He hated how they were already dependant on Dale. It was like Dale had always been there, he fell into the family routine; thus pushing Alex out. It cut him to the core. 

When they finally broke up, Alex stepped forward hugging Lindsay. “I knew you could do it, Baby,” he whispered in her ear. “You did great up on the stand.”

“Thank you, Alex,” Lindsay smiled and stepped back.

“How about we go and grab a celebratory dinner?” Alex announced, not ready to part ways.

“Great idea,” Dale agreed. They hadn’t been very hungry during the lunch recess. “Where do you guys want to go?” He asked Lindsay and Ashlyn. “My treat.”

Alex’s clenched his jaw in anger. “Do you have to throw your money around? I’ll buy this, I’ll buy that. Lindsay’s not impressed with money and extravagant gifts. She didn’t want to involve you in the first place!”

Dale lifted his eyes from his daughter to Alex, giving him an icy glare. “You would know all about being involved wouldn’t you, kissing on Lindsay the other night. Bet that was as far as it got, wasn’t it?”

Lindsay paled as she glanced at Dale. “How did you know about that?”

“You kissed Alex?” Ashlyn questioned bewildered, staring at her mother. “When? What about Daddy, Momma?” She looked back and forth between her parents. She knew she shouldn’t have gotten her hopes up, but with how her parents were acting the past few days and sharing the kiss in the snow on Christmas, she couldn’t help the ideas that plagued her head. Her parents getting together; finally becoming a family.

“You sent it to me,” Dale said moving his stare to Lindsay. He reached into his pocket for his phone. Pulling it out he quickly brought up the picture mail, showing it to Lindsay. “It came from you.”

“I didn’t take it,” Lindsay grabbed Dale’s phone looking at the picture. The photographer had caught the kiss in the beginning while Lindsay was still in shock and hadn’t tried pushing Alex away. Her anger grew at the thought of someone messing with her phone. “Dale, I…” she couldn’t think of anything to tell him. “I didn’t send you that. I would never…”

“Why would someone do such a thing?” Grace said as she looked at the photo on Dale’s phone. “That is just immature and wrong. Someone was trying to get you mad at Lindsay.”

Lindsay’s gaze fell down to Dale’s hand, the splint half hidden underneath the suit jacket he wore. ‘I punched a tree. I was angry.’ The words swirled in her mind and she looked back into Dale’s eyes. “Oh Dale…” she whispered as it clicked in her head what happened to his hand. She remembered coming home that night and trying to call him, but not getting an answer. She had figured he was already in bed. But instead was at the hospital getting checked out because he had punched a tree because she had kissed someone else. She didn’t know if she wanted to slap him for being an idiot and letting his anger get the best of him or hug him for in a round about way letting her know how he felt. “I’m sorry…”

“Don’t worry about it, Linds,” Dale said as he took his phone back from her, deleting the picture. Seeing the look on her face as she looked at the picture told him that she didn’t know it was being taken and was just as upset as he had been. “How about we go get dinner now?”

“Sounds good to me,” Grace said glad to have the minor dispute settled. It wasn’t the time or place to get into an argument. “Where are we eating?”

“Doesn’t matter to me,” Lindsay said as she put her coat on. Her mind still tormented with the information that someone took a picture of her and Alex kissing and sent it to Dale.

“Olive Garden?” Ashlyn offered.

Dale looked around the small group, getting a consensus with the Italian restaurant. “Olive Garden it is,” he said and they filed out of the row. As they walked down the aisle toward the door to leave the court room, he felt Lindsay’s hand searching for his. He offered her his hand and threaded his fingers through hers, squeezing gently. Once they got outside, he sent the women to his Tahoe when he was stopped by reporters.

“Dale how do you feel with today’s verdict?” A female reporter thrust her microphone in Dale’s face.

“I am very happy,” Dale said as he glanced up as more reporters gathered around him. “This is certainly the outcome we wanted and glad that it only took one day. We can put this all behind us now and concentrate on moving forward.”


	52. Chapter 52

Chapter Fifty Two

“You owe me, girl,” Christy grinned causing her friend to look up from where she was helping pass out trays during lunch in the dining room.

“I know,” Lindsay smiled. “Thank you so much for working for me tomorrow,” she hugged her friend again. 

“I know how much this means to you and besides; its holiday pay.”

“I hate to pass up holiday pay but Dale really wanted me to come to North Carolina. I’ll be back to work on Friday though,” she frowned, wishing she could have been able to get the day off to have an extended weekend. She hadn’t found anyone to cover her shift.

“Don’t even think of that,” Christy scolded. “You are going to North Carolina and spending time with Dale. Do not even think about work! Around that man, I’m surprised you even remember to breath.”

“I don’t sometimes,” Lindsay giggled. The morning had gone slow; she didn’t think the day would ever get over. It was only lunch time, but she felt she had put in a double already. The day was just dragging on. She didn’t even want to go home after work, so she put her bag in the car. All she had to do was drive to the airfield and meet Dale’s plane. 

“You gonna tell him?” Christy asked as she walked to the carts that housed the lunch trays and pulled one off, delivering it to a resident. 

“Tell him what?” Lindsay asked sitting down the last tray for the table she was working on.

“That you love him? New Years Eve would be the perfect opportunity. Make sure he’s in your arms at midnight.”

“You watch too many movies,” Lindsay rolled her eyes. “I’m not even sure if we’re doing anything tonight. We’re probably just staying in.”

“Trust me, he was adamant about getting you over there… he’s got something planned.”

**

Christy’s words were still in her head as she quickly walked to the time clock a quarter after three to clock out. She didn’t know if she’d even passed everything down in her pass down. Luckily Cindy, the second shift nurse, knew what was going on and didn’t mind; ushering her out as fast as she could.

Slipping her coat on as she used her hip to push open the door, she shivered as the cold wind hit her. She stuffed her hands in the pockets as she hunched over making her way out to the parking lot to her car. Looking up she groaned seeing Alex leaning against her door. This was not what she needed.

“Alex,” Lindsay said as she pulled the keys from her scrub pocket, fingering the unlock button on her key chain. “What are you doing here?”

“I’ve come to take you out,” Alex grinned standing up. “It’s New Years Eve. There is a big party going on at Frankie’s; I want you to come with me.”

“Alex…”

“I know its short notice, and you have to work tomorrow, but I’d really like for you to come with me,” Alex pleaded. “We can ring in the new year together. We need to do some celebrating, especially how the old year went out.”

“I’m sorry, Alex,” Lindsay shook her head. “I’m going to North Carolina tonight. Dale invited me and Ashlyn there for the holiday. Ashlyn is already there, but I couldn’t find anyone to work for me today. I’m meeting his plane right now.”

Alex’s felt the anger boiling and he quickly tried to mask it. “Oh, well that kind of seems pointless to fly out there tonight and turn around to come back by tomorrow for work.” He told her, hoping her could get her to see the silliness of the plan.

“I got Christy to work for me; I don’t have to work tomorrow.” Lindsay told him, wrapping the coat tighter around her. She was getting cold. “I really need to go Alex. Dale’s plane is waiting for me.” She moved past him to open her car door.

“I never figured you’d be swayed by how deep a man’s pockets are,” Alex shot, feeling his chances slipping away. “He’s tossing his money around. The private plane jetting back and forth between here and North Carolina like it’s nothing. The big gifts for Ashlyn at Christmas. He’s trying to buy his way in to your family. To make up for the time he wasn’t there.”

“In case you forgot,” Lindsay whirled around to face Alex, anger flashing in her eyes. “I was the reason that Dale missed so much of Ashlyn’s life. If he wants to buy her gifts, then he can buy her gifts. I can’t stop him. If he wants to use his money to fly me to North Carolina so I don’t have to drive seven hours and can spend the holiday with my family then so be it. If he didn’t have money, I wouldn’t care. I was with him when he was still working at his father’s dealership and racing street stock cars trying to catch a break.”

“Face it,” Alex snapped, his anger boiling. “If he didn’t have money, you wouldn’t have called him for help in the first place.”

Lindsay slapped Alex across the cheek before turning to get into her car. She jammed the keys into the ignition, starting it. 

“Linds…” Alex stopped her from closing her door. “I’m sorry, Lindsay…” he had half a notion to arrest her for assaulting a police officer if only to make sure she wasn’t able to get to North Carolina tonight. But he figured that would ruin his chances completely. “I’m sorry…”

“I need to go,” Lindsay told him. “I’m running late.” When he stepped away from her door, she slammed it shut, pulling from the parking spot and heading toward the road. 

Alex watched Lindsay’s car disappear and rubbed his stinging cheek. He wasn’t going to lose her, not without a fight. He got back in his car and headed home. He had to get to North Carolina quickly.

**

Lindsay shut off Ashlyn’s iPod that she borrowed for the trip and stuffed it in her bag. Picking the duffle bag up, she made her way to the front of the plane and slowly climbed down the stairs. The ride did nothing to sooth her bad mood as she hoped it would. When she reached the bottom she saw Dale leaning against his Tahoe, arms folded, feet crossed at the ankles, smiling at her. She felt some of her anger melt away and a smile formed on her lips as she walked toward him.

Dale pushed off the SUV and met her halfway. He gathered her in his arms, holding her against him. He felt her tense posture and rubbed his hands up and down her back. “Bad day at work? Was the plane ride okay?”

“The plane ride was great,” Lindsay smiled as Dale let go and grabbed her bag as they walked toward his Tahoe. She moved around the SUV and climbed into the passenger side as Dale put her bag in the back before getting in the drivers’ seat.

“That leaves a bad day at work then,” Dale said as he drove through Concord jumping on the Interstate, heading toward Mooresville. He figured traffic would be horrible on the way back down to Charlotte later on, but he knew Lindsay would want to get to the house and shower and see Ashlyn.

“You could say that,” Lindsay sighed and closed her eyes. She didn’t know what Alex’s problem was. He should be happy that Dale was a part of Ashlyn’s life. He knew it was something she always wanted. She wasn’t swayed by what Dale could buy for them. She was proud of the hard work she put in and the paycheck she brought home. She was able to provide for her daughter and she thought she had done a damn good job of it. She jumped when she felt Dale take her hand.

“Relax,” Dale glanced at Lindsay, his face full of concern and worry. “What’s wrong?” He asked, giving her hand a little squeeze before settling to rub the back of it with his thumb.

“I don’t want to get in to it,” she sent him a smile and pushed the altercation with Alex to the back of her mind. She didn’t want it to ruin her night. She was in North Carolina ringing in the New Year with her family. “What do you have planned tonight?”

“We’re going out,” Dale let the subject drop for now. He was going to find out what happened before the end of the night. He entwined their fingers. “Ashlyn is going to stay with Kelley; they are having their own party over there of sorts. Ashlyn was pretty excited about staying with them.”

“That’s great,” Lindsay said. “We’re going out? Where?”

“My bar in Charlotte – Whiskey River. I’m throwing a New Years Eve party there. There’s gonna be a lot of my friends… some fans. Hopefully they won’t be too bad.”

Lindsay mulled over the information before nodding. It seemed like a good idea. It had been awhile since she went out to a bar and relaxed. Maybe that was what she needed. “Sounds good. Fair warning though…”

“What’s that?”

“I’m a cheap drunk, it probably won’t be but a couple to have me dancing on tables,” she told him slyly. “So I’m counting on you to keep me off tables and my panties on.”

Dale groaned at the thought and shifted in his seat. If everything went according to plan, he hoped to have her panties off tonight. But in the comfort of his own bed and not in the middle of a crowded bar. “Seeing you dancing on tables might be fun, surely make some tips,” he sent her a wink.

“I don’t think so,” Lindsay chuckled. 

“How can you be a cheap drunk, but yet worked as a bartender? How does that work?”

“I drank regularly then,” Lindsay said. “Once I had Ashlyn though, I never went out and drank. It was few and far between. My tolerance sunk.”

“Ah,” Dale nodded. “Alright, no table dancing. I’ll keep a close eye on you.”

**

“Lindsay,” Brenda smiled as she walked out of the kitchen to meet her son and Lindsay at the door. “It’s good to see you again,” she pulled the woman into a hug. “How are you?”

“I’m doing good,” Lindsay smiled. “How are you?”

“Uncle Junior!”

Lindsay turned toward the shrieks and laughter and caught a small brunette run into the room and launching herself at Dale. She laughed as Dale caught the girl in the air and spun her around before hugging her tightly and showering her with kisses. Her heart softened at the look of pure adoration on Dale’s face. When the toddler looked at her, she amassed that it was Kelley’s youngest, Kennedy.

“I’m good,” Brenda smiled, taking Lindsay’s hand, pulling her into the kitchen. 

Lindsay’s smile froze on her face when she saw Kelley and an older woman sitting at the kitchen table. She sent a panic stricken look to Dale. She had the feeling she was about to get ambushed.

“This is Martha,” Brenda made the introductions. “Dale’s grandmother.”

“Nice to meet you,” Lindsay said politely. She wondered if she was ever really tested with Brenda and Kelley’s first visits or if they went easy on her because of the situation. She doubted it would happen this time around.

“Go easy on her,” Dale chuckled from the doorway seeing all the women he loved gathered in his kitchen. He knew he should probably rescue Lindsay from their grasps, especially when he knew she wasn’t in the greatest of moods but he knew they would wait to corner her again. It was easier to just get it over with. He slipped from the room in search of his daughter.

“Hey Daddy,” Ashlyn grinned from the bed in the guest bedroom that she had donned hers over Thanksgiving. She was sitting on the bed playing ‘Old Maid’ with Karsyn. 

“Hey Baby,” he walked into the room, kissing the top of his daughter’s head. “Watch her,” he said of his niece. “She’s brutal at this game.”

“I know. She’s kicked my butt in five games already.”

“You’ll learn. We know not to play her.”

“We can play poker instead,” Karsyn grinned sitting her cards down.

“I don’t know how to play,” Ashlyn said. 

“I’ll teach you,” Dale said. “I taught Karsyn.”

“When are you and Momma leaving?” Ashlyn asked. She couldn’t wait to see her mother in the dress that he had bought for her. It was beautiful. She hoped her mother had remembered the diamond earrings. They would match the dress and the new necklace Dale had bought perfectly.

“Not until around nine,” Dale said as he sat Kennedy down on the ground. “I should probably go and rescue her though. I’m sure she’d want to take a shower and relax. She didn’t have a good day at work.”

“She’s probably mad at you now,” Ashlyn called as her father walked from her room. She giggled when he poked his head back in. “You left her alone to be grilled. She’s not gonna be happy about that. Threw her to the wolves.”

“It was gonna happen sometime,” Dale told his daughter.

“But you could have told her they weren’t going to grill her. She already passed.” Ashlyn pointed out.

“What’s the fun in that?” Dale chuckled as he walked away.

“He’ll learn,” Ashlyn grinned as she grabbed the final card. “I win!”


	53. Chapter 53

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone enjoyed this! There is a one shot sequel to this, called "A Long Time Coming". It basically continues the night.

Final Chapter Fifty Three

The bill for the event was semi formal. Lindsay was dressed in a beautiful black knee length dress that felt like velvet. She had Alannah Myles’ song “Black Velvet” in her head as she was getting dressed. It was an a-line silhouette with spaghetti straps and a v neckline. The back was low cut and the straps crossed in the middle. Underneath the bust was a sequined criss-cross detail.

She sauntered down the hall, slipping into her sexiest sashay wanting to show off the designer tag that Dale had bought her. She wanted to thank him for the wonderful present.

As she turned the corner to meet him in the living room, her breath hitched and caught in her throat. He was dressed in khaki slacks, loose fitting to Lindsay’s disappointment. She liked to see snug jeans on his body, though she’d never admit it out loud. His shirt was a collared, short-sleeved, black button up with pockets on the chest on both sides. Something about it screamed rockabilly. Lindsay mentally laughed thinking that she just labeled him rockabilly. Dale was anything but.

The shirt fit snuggly over his chest. ‘Good,’ Lindsay thought. ’I’ll be able to feel his body through it.’ She checked herself, shaking those images from her head. Dale stuffed his hands into his pockets as she continued soaking in the man in front of her. His shoes were buffed and brilliant shiny black. They looked like work shoes, but the kind that could pass for dress shoes as well. She grinned as she noticed that one of the scuffs hadn’t come completely out. Her eyes drifted back up to his face and he was smirking at her. She blushed and ducked her head.

“You look amazing, Linds.” 

“I can’t believe you bought me this dress,” Lindsay did a small pirouette, grinning as the fabric brushed against her legs. “Did you pick this out yourself?”

“Yeah,” Dale grinned, glancing at Lindsay. He knew the dress would look gorgeous on her. “I wasn’t sure about the shoes though,” he said, motioning to the black stiletto heels fastened around her ankles. 

“Well they are beautiful, but they’ll probably be coming off later tonight,” Lindsay smiled. “Are you sure we ain’t a little over dressed for this?”

“Nope,” Dale grabbed the black dress coat he had laid over the back of the couch. He held it out, helping her in to it. “It’s my party; I made the dress code.”

“Thanks,” she smiled softly as she buttoned up the coat. She shook her head thinking of what the all this had cost. 

“You ready?” Dale asked as he put on his coat, grabbing his keys. He offered his elbow to her.

“Ready,” Lindsay giggled and slipped her hand through.

**

“So when are you gonna dump him and realize what you’re missing?” TJ slid into the booth next to Lindsay after Dale vacated the spot.

“With you?” Lindsay raised an eyebrow looking at him. She remembered Dale saying he was one of his best friends and spotted for him during the races.

“Of course with me, who else?” TJ grinned. “Where do you think Dale learned all his secrets from?”

Lindsay laughed and rolled her eyes. “You’re just a baby,” she gave his cheek a little pat.

“A baby!” TJ gasped. “I’m almost thirty! Younger than Dale. I thought women dated younger guys.”

“Sorry, I don’t need someone I have to train,” she laughed.

“I can’t leave you alone with her can I?” Dale stood next to the table, glaring at his friend. “Get the hell out of here, Dipshit. Find your own woman. Leave mine alone.”

“He’s crazy,” she said, still laughing when TJ slid from the booth and moving toward the dance floor to a gather of women. He wrapped his arms around their shoulders and said something causing them all to break out into giggles.

“He’s a dumbass,” Dale agreed as he sat down next to her. “But he’s a good guy. We’ve been friends forever,” he sat a glass in front of her. He laughed when Lindsay eyes it carefully. “Just drink it.”

“I don’t know, Josh told me never to drink anything that you bring,” she said staring at the drink. “This won’t make me dance on tables will it?” She grabbed the glass taking a small sip. “Oh yuck!” She gasped making a sour face. “What is this!”

“Its better you not know what’s in it,” Dale laughed, taking a drink of his own. He rested his arm around the back of the booth behind Lindsay. He couldn’t keep the smile off his face as he watched her engage in a conversation with DeLana Harvick. He was happy that they were getting along and she was making friends. The way she dished back to TJ made sure she’d fit right in with the group.

He glanced up when he heard a throat clear and he stiffened, his eyes glowering. “What are you doing here?” He said tightly, noticing out of the corner of his eye that Lindsay and DeLana were now looking in their direction.

“Its New Years, baby,” Amber cooed. “You didn’t think I would miss this big party,” she ran a hand down his arm. 

“You weren’t invited,” Dale said tightlipped. “Leave.”

Lindsay looked on in confusion at the blonde standing next to their booth. She took in her appearance seeing her wearing a strapless, short, pink mini dress. She was surprised that the woman didn’t pop out considering how tight it was. ‘No doubt fake,’ she thought. She leaned toward DeLana, “Pit lizard?”

“Very much so,” DeLana nodded. “She’s been passed around more times than a bottle of liquor at a party. She got her claws into Dale once and he hasn’t been able to shake them yet.”

Lindsay nodded, processing the information. She took pity on the woman that her life amounted to nothing more than hoping to land a quick lay with a driver. And she would lower her standards and morals to sleep with anyone that crossed her path. Seeing how the woman wasn’t taking no for an answer, she slid closer to Dale, tucking her hand around his bicep. “How about we go dance?”

Amber chuckled merciless, “Oh honey, you don’t know what you’re getting in to. You’re so naïve. You really think that you’ll be the only woman gracing his bed? You’ll find out that you’ll be one of many that he has stashed around the country.”

“That’s enough,” Dale bellowed. “If you don’t leave, I’ll have security throw you out.”

“I’m a paying customer,” Amber smiled sweetly. “You can’t throw me out.”

“It’s my bar, I can throw anyone out,” he took Lindsay’s hand as he slid from the booth, pulling her with him. “You have five minutes to leave, if you don’t, I’ll forcefully remove you.”

“Oh, I like it when you’re angry, it turns me on,” Amber moved closer to Dale, pressing herself up against him. “Why don’t you ditch the virgin and get with someone with experience.”

“That’s it,” Dale gritted. He turned to Lindsay, “Stay here with DeLana. She’s leaving.”

“I knew you’d come to me,” Amber smirked.

“Let’s go,” Dale gripped her upper arm, shoving his way through the crowd to the entrance. “I don’t want to ever see you back here again. Stay off my property and away from me or I’ll have you arrested.”

“You don’t mean that,” Amber said. “You know you want me. I can love you like no other. She’s not even your type… she may be blonde but she doesn’t have anything to hold that dress up. And I know how you like ‘em big,” she rolled her shoulders back, protruding her chest.

“If you weren’t a whore and had a brain,” Dale told her as they come up on the door.

“Oh baby, that’s the pot calling the kettle black,” Amber giggled. “You’re the biggest whore… you know you want me. Won’t be able to keep it in your pants. You’ll see… you’ll see me walking down the garage and you’ll come get me. Go back to your precious slut out there…”

Dale’s back stiffened and the hold on her arm tightened. “Don’t you ever call her that. You know nothing about her.”

“I know more than you think,” Amber’s eyes narrowed at Dale. “She’s a bitch and should have listened. She’ll find out that you won’t play house for long.”

“What did you say?” Dale gritted, Amber’s words ringing in his head. He heard a variation of them before. The message on the brick flooded his brain. ‘You didn’t listen, bitch.’ “It was you!” His anger was boiling over. “You sent the threatening letters. You threw the brick in Lindsay’s window.”

“Too bad she wasn’t standing in front of it,” Amber muttered. “Or the brat.”

“That does it,” he waved over one of the security guards. “Call the cops and baby sit her until they pick her up. I’ll file the slew of charges tomorrow. Right now tell them to keep her for being a whore.” He turned around and headed back to the table. Halfway to the section he caught site of Lindsay on the dance floor. He shook his head seeing Josh leading her. A smile toyed with his lips and his anger dissipated as he watched them smiling and talking. He was glad that all his friends accepted her. Making a detour he figured it was time that he got a turn with his girl on the dance floor.

**

“I’m gonna steal her away from you DeLana,” Josh said as he stood at the table. He held out his hand, “I believe you owe me a dance.”

“Why is that?” Lindsay smiled at him. “I’ll be back,” she told DeLana and moved from the booth, slipping her hand in Josh’s.

“You ruined our vacation,” Josh said as he led her out onto the dance floor. “We were in Colorado to party and have a good time,” he pulled her in his arms as a slow song came on. “After he saw you, all he wanted to do was stay inside.”

“I’m sorry,” Lindsay laughed softly. “If I remember correctly, you were wrapped up with a blonde bunny. Why do you care what Dale did?”

“Maybe I’m just jealous,” Josh winked. “I knew I should have walked in first. Then you wouldn’t have even given him a glance.”

“Sorry, Josh. I don’t think that would be true,” she shook her head as he twirled her around. “It was better he walked in first, I wouldn’t have had to turn you down.”

“He went back, you know.” Josh told her. Seeing her questioning gaze, he explained. “The winter after. He took off back to the lodge and stayed the whole winter. He waited for you. He never said much when he returned, but I knew he was disappointed. He went back one more time before he finally gave up.”

Lindsay stared at Josh in shock. He went back? She had been on his mind for the rest of the year that he had to go back and try to find her again. She felt tears flooding her eyes and she tried to blink them back. If only things had been different. If she hadn’t of gotten pregnant, she would have been at the lodge that year and they would have gotten together.

“Oh shit,” Josh’s eyes widened. “He’s gonna kill me. I didn’t mean to make you cry. Shit…”

“It’s alright,” Lindsay swiped the tears with on of her hands. “I didn’t know…I didn’t know,” she whispered. “I was in Kentucky then…Ashlyn was only a few months old…damnit…” she muttered wiping at her cheeks again. “He didn’t tell me.”

“Probably wouldn’t of,” Josh pulled her in a comforting hug. “He was hung up on you pretty bad. He still is…” he gave a deep sigh. “Be good to him Lindsay. It won’t be easy being with him, but you’re the one he wants; always wanted.

“Lindsay?”

Lindsay picked her head up off Josh’s shoulder and looked over her shoulder. She stilled seeing Alex standing next to them. She turned around to stare at him in shock. She couldn’t believe he had followed her to North Carolina. She felt Josh’s arm tighten protectively around her as he sized up Alex. “What are you doing here?”

“I love you Lindsay. I realize now just how much. Marry me.”

Lindsay’s jaw fell open as she heard the words pass through Alex’s lips. She heard Josh’s swift intake of breath. ‘Marry me.’ The words were spinning through her head. It never dawned on her that Alex was that serious in his quest to regain their relationship.

“Marry me, Lindsay,” Alex repeated taking a step closer. He didn’t know who the guy was standing with her. He didn’t care. He needed to get Lindsay to see his feelings ran deep for her. Deeper than anything Dale could feel for her.

Lindsay felt Josh tense behind her and looked up following his gaze. She paled seeing them land on Dale. She could tell by his posture that Dale had overheard Alex’s words. She stared at him, but he never caught her gaze; shooting daggers into the back of Alex’s head.

Alex frowned, seeing Lindsay stare past him and turned around. His jaw clenched when he saw Dale. He should have figured he wouldn’t be too far away. Turning back around to face Lindsay, he reached for her hand. “I love you Lindsay. We had so many good years and we were crazy to end it.”

Josh looked at Dale, wondering why he wasn’t stepping in. His eyes begged his best friend to do something, say something. He didn’t think Dale would just sit back and let this happen. He wouldn’t let Lindsay walk out of his life again. If that happened, Josh didn’t even know how Dale would react. How he was going to overcome the pain again. ‘Beer and women,’ Josh thought shaking his head sadly. That was what his friend would do.

“Alex, I…” Lindsay started looking at Dale. He had yet to make a move; stood staring at them, almost seemingly frozen in place. She glanced back at Alex seeing the desperation in his face as he waited for an answer. She felt as if everyone in the room was staring at her.

“Find that special somebody,” the DJ’s voice broke through. “It’s time to ring in the New Year…”

“10…9…8…”

The crowd around them began the countdown to the New Year and Lindsay felt the nervousness in her stomach. The two men that ever really held her heart were standing in front of her, waiting for her to answer. She looked at Alex and thought back to all she shared with him. She knew him inside and out. He was there for her and Ashlyn and treated her like his own. He knew most of her dreams and fears.

Turning to look at Dale, her heart picked up, beating against her rib cage. He had captured her heart at a young age. He listened to her pour out her dreams and aspirations. He knew her body as if he himself carved it. He had given her the best thing in the world – Ashlyn. He was the chance to be a family; something she so desperately wanted.

“7…6…5…”

Dale stared at Lindsay awaiting her answer. He saw Josh looking intently at him wondering why he wasn’t doing anything. And the truth was, he didn’t even know why he hadn’t stepped in and whisked Lindsay away, claiming her as his own. It felt as if his whole life was hanging in the balance. It was depending on the words that came from Lindsay’s mouth.

Alex caught Lindsay’s eyes, pleading silently. He stood taller as the seconds ticked by. The more time passed, the more time she was thinking. He wanted to smile. She still loved him, he knew. If not, she would have said no immediately. He wondered what Dale was thinking, knowing that Lindsay didn’t know which man she wanted. He knew she’d make the right decision. Sure Dale had more to offer monetary, but he had love. And love was worth more than money.

“4….3….2…”

Lindsay bit her lip, pulling it between her teeth. Never had she faced anything so hard in her life. She had to make her decision; had to end the wrestling match. Her heart screamed at her to make a choice. And she took a deep breath.

“Listen to your heart,” Josh whispered in her ear. 

“1…”

Lindsay stepped forward, closing her eyes as her lips connected with his. They were soft and warm. She wound her arms around his neck, moving closer to him. The cheers and horns of the crowd as the New Year was upon them were drowned out. She pressed her body against his and her efforts were rewarded when he tightened his arms around her, holding her tightly. Her body molding to his. She felt his tongue softly probing her lips and opened her mouth with a sigh as she melted against him.

The kiss ended slowly. She felt him brush her lips with his before resting his forehead against hers. His breath tickled her skin sending shivers down her spine. Her eyes fluttered open, her breath hitching as she stared into deep blue pools. The love she felt for this man reflecting back at her. “Dale…”

“Shh…” Dale whispered leaning forward claiming her lips softly before looking down into her eyes. His arms locked around her waist, keeping her against him. A smile grew on his lips and he hoped he was able to portray the magnitude of love and adoration that he felt. She was his. After thirteen years, he finally had the one woman who slipped through his grasp. “I love you Lindsay.”

Lindsay felt the tears pool in her eyes and trickle down her cheeks. She could only imagine what her face looked like with her mascara running. “I love you too, Dale. I’ve loved you since Telluride.”

“I should have told you,” Dale brought a hand up, wiping at Lindsay’s tears. “Things would be different…” He leaned down kissing her softly again, unable to get his fill. He moved slowly to the music, even though the song was an upbeat fast song. In his mind it was soft and slow. “What did Josh say to you?” He whispered against her lips.

“To listen to my heart,” Lindsay smiled softly. “It led me to you.”


End file.
